Seven Devils
by Liliana Celeste
Summary: Six friends embark on a journey from Mystic Falls, Virginia all the way up to Chicago, Illinois for the biggest game of the season. It's supposed to be a fun vacation in celebration of graduation. But it turns out to be fatally worse than they imagine; the group unknowingly steps into the trap of a ghost town, the main attraction being the House of Wax. (AU, AH).
1. Chapter One

**Warning: Rated T (rating will be changed to M later) for Dark Themes, Graphic Violence, Language, Sexual Situations.**

Chapter One

_Dear Diary_, Elena Gilbert wrote perfectly in cursive form into her journal. She was completely relaxed with a warm blanket draped over her as she sat at her window. The blue sky was beginning to fade into darkness.

_Graduation of 2014 was finally here. Everything is perfect; that may sound cliché, but it's the truth and the truth feels good. _She tucked a flawless piece of straight hair behind her ear, her equally matching dark eyes occasionally glancing out her window, peacefully observing the calm night of Mystic Falls.

_Well, there is only one matter, even though I try not to worry about it, but no matter how much I try to avoid or ignore it; I just can't stop thinking about it. _Elena paused, her hand frozen and the pen permanently inking the paper. A deep breath was released and she started to write again. _Its Stefan's troubled older brother Damon again._ _Today was graduation; yes, everyone and I graduated today at Mystic Falls High. It was a beautiful ceremony and all, until Damon ruined the entire thing by showing up completely wasted._

An upset frown etched its way on her tanned face and she hesitated once again before she had the courage to write again. _It was such a terrible scene. Not to mention, Damon embarrassed Stefan and his father deeply. The Salvatore's are now the central gossip in town. Since Mystic Falls is such a small place, everyone and everything gets around and word spreads like a virus on a computer._

Elena lifted her head up and her eyes caught the red fabric of her graduation gown that was still hung up next to her closet. Only a few hours ago, she was wearing that robe and walking up the stage to claim her diploma. It felt so surreal that she now just graduated high school.

_Even though Damon won't ever admit it, a part of me believes that he's jealous of Stefan. I believe this because Damon never acknowledges Stefan for any of his hard work. I want to feel remorse for the older Salvatore, but all I feel is anger. He could've done better in school, but he chose not to. Damon dropped out of his senior year once he turned eighteen, which really upset his father._

Elena paused in her writing as she heard her mother call her name from downstairs. Shrugging the blanket off her, the brunette closed her journal and hid it behind her large frame that was above her bed. Heading downstairs, Elena noticed her mother was standing at the doorway. Someone must be here.

"Elena, honey." Her mother smiled warmly at her. "Stefan's here."

A smile spread across her face as she thanked her mother and stepped outside on the porch with her boyfriend, making sure the front door was closed to give them some privacy.

"What are you doing here?" she asked breathlessly, her eyes draping over Stefan. He was wearing his signature leather jacket which Elena secretly adored. It made him look really sexy. His short copper golden hair looked styled and Elena had the immediate desire to run her fingers through it.

"What am _I_ doing here?" he retorted playfully, making Elena smile gently as she drank in the wonderful sight of his emerald eyes. "I'm here to visit my beautiful girlfriend, of course." He stepped closer to her, leaving no space between them. Elena blushed at the gesture.

"So I see." She observed, trying to keep her breathing under control. For four years, since freshman year, they've been dating and Elena heavily cherished all those moments they had together. A distant memory of her and Matt Donovan briefly popped to her head; she remembered being in a relationship with Matt through middle school before they ultimately decided to break it off, due to their differences and views.

Stefan chuckled as he gently grabbed Elena's hands and held them. "Listen, everyone is gathering at the Grill tonight, it's gonna be a huge graduation party."

"I know." Elena nodded, trying not to focus her gaze on his soft lips. "Everyone at school's been talking about it. It's going to be the biggest party of the year." She paused, trying to control her breathing. Why did he have this effect on her? "Stefan, we don't have to go. I know big parties like that aren't your thing so I don't want you to feel forced to go."

"Elena." Stefan stated, rubbing circles on her hands. "Don't worry about it, and you're right. Those type of events aren't my thing, but it doesn't matter because I'll have Mystic Fall's most beautiful girl right by my side."

A shy smile lifted her lips. "Oh, stop that, Stefan. Really though, we don't have to go. We can just stay here, maybe go up to my room and have some time to ourselves." She suggested, reaching up and pressing a chaste kiss to his addicting lips.

Stefan smiled from the sweet kiss before reluctantly pulling away. "We've got all the time in the world." His hands reached up and cupped her face. "But this is the last high school celebration and everyone expects us to be there."

Elena's hands reached up and entwined her fingers with his. "You're right. Can you give me a moment? I need to get my jacket and purse."

Stefan kissed her forehead. "Take all the time you need."

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Caroline Forbes squealed in delight as she saw her best friend Elena Gilbert and Stefan Salvatore walk through the doors in the Grill. Sliding off her boyfriend, Klaus' lap, making him loudly protest, it was a surprise that she nearly sprinted to her friends in those high heels of hers.

"Oh my God! You guys made it!" Caroline forcefully brought Elena into a hug followed by Stefan. Elena observed Caroline's appearance for the night; she was wearing a sexy red dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. Elena felt terribly out of place as she glanced around and noticed all the girls wearing revealing dresses. Wearing a T-shirt, jeans, leather jacket, and Converse; Elena stuck out like a sore thumb.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world, Care." Elena replied with a smile as she and Stefan followed the bubbly blonde to a crowded table that had all their friends. Caroline went to go sit back down on Klaus' lap. Next to the couple was Tyler and Matt, followed by Bonnie and Elena's younger brother Jeremy.

"Hey guys," Elena greeted everyone as she occupied the spot next to her brother and Stefan took his place next to her. "Bonnie, how does it feel to be dating jailbait?" she asked her best friend playfully. The last year, Bonnie and Jeremy ended up getting together, which surprised Elena. But nonetheless, she accepted their relationship.

"It feels wonderful, Elena." Bonnie responded while keeping her chocolate eyes locked with Jeremy. "Just as long as I don't get arrested for dating a minor." The dark-skinned woman teasingly poked her boyfriend in the ribs as he reached and clasped her fingers within his.

"Hey, give me a break, babe." Jeremy pulled her close. "I'm almost seventeen."

"Almost as in _six months_ from now." Bonnie smirked.

"Sixteen and a half sounds like a pretty sexy age to me." Caroline jokingly commented from the other side of the table.

"I couldn't have agreed more." Bonnie whispered, her eyes still not leaving Jeremy's before she reached in and pecked his lips, making Elena smile at the two. But Elena's smile quickly disappeared as her brother actually took advantage of the kiss and deepened it.

"Jer." She hit his shoulder hard, making him protest. "No PDA, little brother."

Caroline smacked Klaus on the shoulder. "How come you don't kiss me like that?" she gestured to Bonnie and Jeremy's make-out session that happened not too long ago.

"Oh, come now, love." Klaus spoke in his British accent, making Caroline soften. His voice always seemed to do things to her. "You know that inexperienced little boy has nothing on a real man like me."

"_Inexperienced_?" Jeremy said offended while Bonnie only laughed at his expression.

"Don't make fun of Jeremy like that." Matt defended him.

"Thank you." Jeremy said thankful to his friend.

"It's not his fault that he didn't get his cherry popped until a few hours ago." Matt continued, a smirk evident on his face as everyone gasped or looked completely shocked.

"Hey, screw you, man." Jeremy fired back. "At least I got some action."

"Okay, that was way too much information." Elena said, trying to scrape the disturbing thought of her brother getting laid by her best friend.

"How I love our daily discussions." Stefan said sarcastically as he draped his arm over Elena's shoulder and scooted them close together to get comfortable.

"Hell yeah, I'm entertained everyday by hanging out with you loser-ass dickheads." Tyler smiled sardonically at his friends.

"Thanks, man." Jeremy said wryly.

"Okay, everyone, be quiet. I have a very important announcement to make." Caroline spoke up before Klaus purposely made a noise. Caroline rolled her eyes while correcting herself, "Excuse me, _we_ have a very important announcement to make."

Klaus squeezed her thigh affectionately and whispered, "Much better, love." Caroline cleared her throat, distracted by his warm hands that were sneakily inching their way up her dress.

"Um, well…" She gripped one of his hands, her nails digging in his palm, making him briefly smirk at the way she was reacting to his scorching touch.

"Yes, blondie, we're waiting," Tyler said impatiently, urging her to continue. Caroline started laughing loudly, but really she was fighting the strong urge to just jump Klaus' bones right then and there. But they had an audience and everyone was giving her the strangest looks.

"Well, as everyone knows. There's gonna be a big game in Chicago. Eagles vs. Bears." Caroline flinched as Klaus was caressing the outside of her underwear. "We scored six tickets. Anyone want to come?" Caroline hurriedly finished before smacking her boyfriend's greedy hand.

"When's the game?" asked Bonnie as she held hands with Jeremy.

"Next week." Klaus answered, bringing Caroline closer as he comfortably rested his chin on her bare shoulder while wrapping his strong arms around her flat stomach.

"Crap. I can't." Bonnie said disappointedly. "I have an orientation to attend at UVA."

"I don't know, man." Matt said in an unsure tone. "I'm gonna be working long shifts here at the Grill. I can't take some time off. I need the money to save for college."

"Oh, come on, guys!" Caroline groaned. "It's the biggest game of the season! At least four of you have to come with us! We're not just gonna waste the tickets on people we don't like." Caroline glanced at Tyler. "What about you, Lockwood?"

"Sorry to crush your hopes, but I'm not down for a stupid game in Chicago. I got important matters to attend to." His eyes trailed across the Grill to land on Vicki, who was busy working the late shift. Matt noticed this and punched him in the shoulder.

"Like screwing my sister?" Matt guessed, his disapproving tone taking over.

"Something like that." Tyler unintentionally licked his lips.

"Elena, Stefan…? Please?" Caroline practically begged.

Elena, who was quiet the entire time, thought about it. She didn't have anything going on next week. Not so sure, she turned to Stefan and asked, "What do you think, Stefan?"

Stefan shrugged nonchalantly. "Only if you're going, Elena." He smiled sweetly at her, making her heart melt like a Popsicle on a hot day.

Elena hesitated before releasing a sigh. "I suppose."

Caroline's loud squeal of excitement made Elena jump. Immediately, Caroline began to talk about their plans, of what to pack, and everything else. Elena and Stefan glanced at each other in amusement while Caroline continued babbling off with Klaus smiling lovingly at his girlfriend.

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After the long night at the Grill, Stefan returned Elena home. Immediately, she discussed with her parents that she was going on a trip next week to Chicago for a football game. Since she was eighteen and graduated, they agreed to give her freedom to go on this trip with her friends – but on one condition, she had to take Jeremy with her.

Elena wasn't bothered by having to take her brother, they got along well actually. But she felt bad that Bonnie wasn't able to go with them due to that important orientation.

Once she finished talking with her parents and brother, she traipsed up the stairs to her room. Getting comfortable by putting on pajamas and piling her long hair into a ponytail, she grabbed her diary from her secret hiding place and resumed writing while positioning herself next to the window.

_I just got back from the Grill; it was a huge graduation party. It was kind of fun, I don't know. I'm not too much of a party girl, like my best friend, Caroline, for example. She's usually the one who's always dragging me to these kind of events. But surprise, surprise, it was Stefan who actually persuaded me to go to the Grill tonight. _

Elena grabbed her blanket from the floor and enveloped her petite body within the warmth of the fabric. She continued writing, thinking thoughtfully. _Caroline and Klaus announced to everyone that they ended up scoring tickets for some exciting game that was happening in a week. Honestly though, I'm not a huge football fan. I only agreed to go to be able to spend time with them and Stefan before we all part our separate ways. Everyone's leaving Mystic Falls and that thought scares the living hell out of me. I still have no idea where I want to go. I've applied for scholarships but nothing's happened. Most likely, I'm going to attend the Mystic Falls local college. _

Her eyelids began to feel heavy but she slid away the strong urge to sleep as she forced herself to finish her journal entry; she repeated this routine every night. She always had to write down her thoughts. Memories were too important to her. _Apparently, I have to drag Jeremy along with me to this game, which I know he's not excited for her. He'd rather have Bonnie be there with him; I don't blame him though. I wish Bonnie would come with us too. At least I'll have Stefan, Jeremy, Caroline, and Klaus. But there's still one last ticket left. I know for a fact that Klaus wants to use all the tickets and not waste them like garbage. I wonder who he plans to bring with us. _

Elena finished her entry and hid her journal away from the world. Crawling into bed, exhausted from the day's events that unfolded, Elena yawned drowsily as she slipped under the thick comforters. Turning off her light, she fell asleep in a quick matter of seconds.

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Date Posted: 08/09/14

**A/N: This is a crossover of Vampire Diaries along with the 2005 version of House of Wax. I apologize if the TVD characters seem OOC, I'm just exploring a universe where they are all human. So right now, I'm going to put out a few warnings: there will be some deaths for our beloved characters (if you don't like that stuff, don't read), this story will have DARK themes. I'm not so sure how far the darkness, violence, or sexual situations will go, but I'll find that out soon enough. Right now, this story is rated T, but it will be changed to M soon. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me. Also before I forget, Damon will be in the next chapter ;) **

**Thank you for reading :D**

**- Nina **


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

_Dear Diary_, Elena wrote another entry. Today was officially the day that the group of friends were leaving Mystic Falls to travel up to Illinois to catch a football game. Elena was heavily surprised that her parents were calm with the fact that they were traveling out of state. Throughout the week, bubbly Caroline Forbes has been nothing but busy as she made sure to plan everything ahead, including their hotel reservations, food and gas money, pretty much anything.

_It's only nine in the morning, my friends will be here in about an hour to come and get me. The week dragged on agonizingly slow but I'm actually stoked now that we're leaving Mystic Falls. Not that I hate my hometown, but everything here is just plain… boring. Mystic Falls is like a pair of shoes that I've been wearing for years. I was born and raised here. During one of our conversations, Stefan and I once discussed of what would happen after high school. He told me that he honestly wanted to settle in Mystic Falls and get married so we could raise a family of our own. Don't get me wrong, this small town will always hold a special place in my heart. I never told Stefan this, fearing that he might be angry with me, but I don't want to get married at such a young age. Of course I'll want to in the future but just not right now. _Elena fingered the special necklace Stefan gave to her for their one month anniversary. A small smile lifted the corners of her lips; Stefan could be a sweetheart sometimes.

_I certainly don't want to have kids right now either. All I want is to get out of here and explore life outside the state of Virginia. I want danger and excitement in my life. Is that too much to ask?_

Her brown eyes gleaming from the light pouring from her window, Elena settled down her journal for a moment to check and make sure she had everything packed. They would be gone for a few days at the most which excited the teenager more than anything; her excitement flew up like a rocket soaring as she thought about her friends. This trip was definitely going to be something to remember. She could feel her system pumping with adrenaline.

_Everyone needs to get here quickly, I'm growing far too antsy at this point to get the hell out of this town. Apparently, Stefan, Jeremy, and I are going to ride in his small sports car that he's kept since freshman year when his father (I usually call him Papa Salvatore) gave him as a present. So far, the plan is to follow Klaus and Caroline; they'll be driving Klaus' car. They'll probably want some privacy. The two can't seem to take their hands off each other; I mean, it's cute but sometimes they take it disturbingly far. _

Elena chuckled, thinking about her best friend Caroline's hot and heavy relationship with Klaus Mikaelson. Thinking about it, Elena had to admit that they were quite attractive together. Caroline with her beautiful curly blonde hair and wide blue eyes and Klaus with his sandy-colored curly hair and his entrancing equally blue eyes. Elena knew for a fact that their babies are going to be gorgeous.

_It's funny, I actually remember the day when the love birds first met. It was sophomore year. Stefan and I hit it off a year before and Caroline was dating Matt Donovan at the time. That was when Klaus came into the picture. He traveled all over the world with his family all the way from England. When he and Caroline first met, she told me it was love at first sight. At first, I thought it was kind of corny, but once she broke up with Matt and been together with Klaus ever since, I guess I doubted her. Those two really are in love. _

Elena checked the time on her iPhone. Still about thirty minutes to kill. Her anxiety was increasing each minute that seemed to cruise by slowly. As an attempt to distract herself, she forced herself to write more.

_I'm still wondering what Klaus is going to do with the extra ticket. He still hasn't snagged someone who wanted to tag along. It seems like everyone here in Mystic Falls is extremely busy. Everyone probably has better things to do than attend a dumb game. _

Finishing her entry for the morning, she closed her secret journal and decided to bring it with her as she stuffed it inside her suit case, successfully hiding it. Elena was officially packed and ready to go. She only had one suit case and of course, her purse that she took everywhere with her.

Stealing a glance at the mirror, Elena quickly fixed her makeup and decided to flat iron her thick hair a second time to make sure the strands remained smooth and straight. Every day since freshman year, Elena always straightened her hair. It was a much faster and easier process than to curl it. Plus, she always preferred the more natural look, including her makeup.

Elena jumped as she heard her iPhone ring to life. Her ringtone that was set was loud and obnoxious; she would have to change that soon. A girly smile sprung across her face as she recognized the picture of her boyfriend on the screen.

"Hey there." She smiled, even though Stefan couldn't see it.

"Good morning, Elena." Elena's smile faded as she could hear the irritation in his voice. She wondered what was wrong. "Listen, I just got off the phone with Klaus and he told me that there's a strong chance we're probably going to have to camp out somewhere tonight."

"What? Why? What happened to the motel reservations or whatever?" asked Elena. She seriously hoped they didn't have to camp out; it was not her favorite outdoor activity.

"He told me that the reservations got all mixed up and all the motels in the direction we're heading are booked for the night. If we're lucky, we might be able to find somewhere to crash, but right now, it looks like we're either gonna have to sleep in the cars or camp out."

"Wow. Um, okay." Elena cringed. There was no way they could sleep in Stefan's tiny car. She crossed her fingers in hopes for finding a hotel later that night. "Whatever happens, I'll just have to deal with it."

"Yeah… here's the other thing you'll have to deal with." Stefan said in an apologizing tone. Elena raised an eyebrow.

"What's that?" she asked.

"Damon snagged the last ticket, so he's coming with us, unfortunately."

Elena's heart dropped to her stomach. "No, you're kidding me, right Stefan? Please tell me you're joking?"

"I wish I could, Elena."

"No. Stefan. Damon can't go. Do you not realize how much trouble he'll cause? He's gonna somehow end up getting all of us kicked out of the game with his stupid antics!"

"I know. I'm sorry. I can't do anything about it. Plus, Jeremy agreed to let Damon come. Apparently, they're good buddies or something."

"Damn it. No, not poor Jeremy. Damon is nothing but a bad influence on him. Stefan, can't you talk Damon out of this? He can't go. Hell, he doesn't deserve to go. He doesn't deserve _anything_ after that horrible stunt he pulled on graduation!"

"I'm sorry, Elena." He apologized once more. There was nothing he could really say that would make the situation better. "My father won't help me either. He's actually quite thrilled that Damon's gonna be out of the house for a few days." Stefan explained in a sardonic voice.

"Great." Elena chirped, sarcasm oozing from her tone. "Camping out with Damon Salvatore. Isn't that something?"

Stefan chuckled. "We'll be there to pick you and Jer up in about a half. See you then."

"Okay. I love you, Stefan."

"I love you too, Elena."

Elena smiled as she hit the red dial on her phone before releasing a long sigh. She had to calm down. Sure, Damon would be coming with them now and they might be camping out. That's just awesome. She had to force herself to remain positive. Only thirty minutes and the Salvatore brothers will pick them up and they'll be on their way.

A knock at her door startled her and Elena turned to see Caroline peeking through the door with that bright smile of hers. She looked absolutely pretty with her cute jeans, cowgirl boots, and pink shirt along with her white leather jacket.

"Caroline." Elena said with slight surprise. "What are you doing here? I thought we were going to meet you at Klaus'."

"That was the original plan." Caroline admitted as she playfully jumped on Elena's perfectly-made bed. "But the excitement just took over me so I forced Klaus to drive us over here."

"You are such a demanding person; I'm surprised how Klaus actually puts up with you." Elena teased as she took the spot next to Caroline on her bed.

"He's such a sweetheart." Caroline sighed, almost like a princess swooning over her prince. Elena smiled at her friend; she was too adorable sometimes. "Klaus will do almost anything for me."

"Almost?" Elena arched an eyebrow.

"Last year for Christmas, I asked him to volunteer to portray Santa Claus for this children's fundraiser thing at the elementary school and he totally refused to do it!" Caroline babbled in a disbelieving voice.

Elena couldn't help it, she started laughing at the idea of Klaus in a fat Santa suit. "That actually would've been so cute. Santa Klaus. I love it."

"Right." Caroline grinned and there was yet another knock on the door. "Come in." Caroline allowed as if this was her room.

It was Klaus who hesitantly stepped into the room. He looked handsome with his grey V-neck t-shirt and jeans. "Hello ladies. I hope I'm not interrupting a soon-to-be pillow fight session."

"Oh my God, Klaus." Elena giggled. The idea of girls and pillow fights is just absurd. "That is such a cliché thing to think. Never have I ever been in a pillow fight with girls."

"Well in that case, your life must suck." Klaus joked and Caroline playfully smacked him in the shoulder once he stood over the two best friends.

"So, what's the plan, babe?" asked Caroline. She didn't know why but Elena suddenly had a small tinge of jealousy. She and Stefan haven't stepped up to the point where they call each other pet names. Stefan was never really fond of wanting to call Elena 'baby' or 'babe'. That's why they always referred to each other by their real names. Elena heavily wished they could change that soon.

"Well, I finished talking with Stefan on the phone not too long ago, and he told me that he'll come here and pick up the Gilbert siblings. So, I figure, once he gets here. We can just take off out of town from here so we're not wasting time." Klaus explained, as he grabbed Caroline's palms and kissed each of them.

"All right." Caroline nodded before turning to the brunette. "Are you all packed up?" A look behind her revealed to her that she was indeed packed. "Okay. Already packed. One step ahead, Gilbert. I love that. Are you bringing a bathing suit?"

"Should I?" asked Elena, as she was getting up and heading towards her dresser with Caroline following behind her.

"Shuffling through the panty drawers, I see." Klaus playfully commented and Caroline grabbed a stuffed animal from Elena's dresser and threw it at him, which he caught in one hand.

"Get out, you perverted English man." Caroline couldn't help but smile in his direction.

"Elena love, exactly how old are you now? Your bedroom looks something out of a catalogue for a children's bedroom. You seem to have an obsessive interest in stuffed bears and dolls." He teased. Elena walked over and snatched the bear out of his hands as a mischievous smirk played on his mouth.

"Don't hurt my bedroom's feelings. All the dolls and toys have been with me since I was a little kid and I refuse to give them up." Elena defended herself, making Klaus laugh.

He held up his hands in a defensive gesture. "My mistake, Elena. Hurry up quickly, ladies. We've got a very important game to go to."

"Yeah, yeah, babe." Caroline waved him off without looking at him as she dug through Elena's drawers, looking for a cute swim suit. "Why don't you go have a cup of tea with Elena's mom?"

"Sounds like a wonderful idea, love." He grabbed the doorknob and began to close the door. "And if a pillow fight ever does ensue between the two of you, don't hesitate to call me up here."

"Out." Caroline pointed. Klaus smirked at his girlfriend before closing the door, leaving the two girls alone. "Ugh. He's so _Klaus_ sometimes."

"Caroline, he's _Klaus_ all the time." Elena corrected with a smug grin towards her friend.

"I know." Caroline rolled her eyes.

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Soon, Elena was completely packed and ready to go. She and Caroline dragged her belongings downstairs. Jeremy was already downstairs; he, Klaus, and Elena's mom were in the kitchen having a drink. Elena's father already left for work, but he made sure to say goodbye to Elena and Jeremy the night before.

Caroline squealed as Elena settled down her luggage by the front door. "Ugh, I'm so stoked for this trip. The idea of traveling out of Virginia sounds so thrilling to me."

"I know." Elena agreed. "We all need a break from Mystic Falls."

"Amen to that, sister." Caroline grinned before she went to join her boyfriend in the kitchen.

The doorbell rang and Elena went to go get it, knowing it was Stefan. But when she opened the door, the sight before her wasn't appealing to her. Instead of copper hair, she immediately recognized black hair.

Elena fought the urge to slam the door in Damon Salvatore's face. There he was, standing cockily, leaning against her doorway with an arm over his head. His ice blue eyes seemed more captivating than before and Elena didn't quite know why.

Without thinking, Elena draped her eyes down his form. Like every time she saw him, he was always sporting dark attire: black leather jacket, jeans, shirt, and boots. If he weren't such an asshole, Elena would have to agree that Damon Salvatore is a very handsome man.

"Good morning, Elena…" he drawled out, his voice low as he gazed down at the petite girl.

"Damon." She greeted back, but it sounded more like a threat than a welcoming greeting. "Where's Stefan?" she plastered a fake smile on her face, wanting more than anything to smack that cocky grin right off his face.

"Saint Stefan?" he asked mockingly. He briefly turned so that Elena could glimpse pass his dark body to see that Stefan was checking under the hood of his red sports car. "He's just being Stefan, of course. Always having to make sure that everything is under control."

"At least he's more responsible than you." Elena couldn't help it, she had use that snappy retort against him.

"More _responsible_ than me? Why, Elena," he feigned, positioning his hand over his heart in a mock gesture. "That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me."

Elena snorted. "Dream on, Damon. You'll never hear anything _sweet_ from my mouth."

"What about taste?" Damon challenged, his smirk itching its way back onto his pale face.

"What?" Elena scrunched her face up in confusion.

"You said that I'll never _hear_ anything sweet from your mouth… how about I _taste_ it instead?"

"You're disgusting." The urge to smack him was increasing.

"You love it. I know you do." Was Damon's whisper response before he backed away from the porch and shot a quick wink at Elena's direction. She released a loud huff and grabbed her luggage before reluctantly walking towards Stefan's vehicle where he was still surveying the engine under the hood.

"Good morning, baby." Elena smiled at her boyfriend before purposely striding up to him and giving him a long and loving kiss, making sure that Damon noticed this. Just when Elena tried to deepen the kiss, Stefan pulled away, much to her disappointment.

"Elena, you know I don't like being called 'baby' and you know I hate public displays of affection."

"Oh." Elena's disappointed face was clearly shown.

"But good morning to you too." Stefan smiled as if nothing happened and kissed her forehead before checking under the hood again.

Feeling rejected, Elena ignored the look of mock on Damon's face as she grabbed her suit case and with more force than necessary, threw it in the trunk. She felt humiliated that Damon watched that whole display when she was only trying to mark her territory and make Damon realize that she loved Stefan.

But now Stefan only just pissed her off. This trip was starting to become ruined for her already; technically, the trip haven't even started yet.

Ignoring the Salvatore brothers, Elena went back inside her house to find that everyone was pretty much ready to leave. The Gilbert siblings both hugged and kissed their mother goodbye. Elena helped Jeremy with his luggage as Caroline and Klaus followed after them. Elena's mother hovered by the door, watching everyone leave.

Klaus and Stefan discussed of what was going to happen; Stefan was going to follow behind Klaus the entire time. After packing Jeremy's suit case in the trunk, everyone piled into Stefan's car while Klaus and Caroline got in the other expensive car.

Of course, Stefan was sitting in the front seat driving. Elena was in the passenger seat, and Jeremy and Damon were squashed together in the back. Miranda Gilbert waved them off as everyone drove off. Elena hoped and prayed this trip wouldn't be so bad.

Little did she know.

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Date Posted: 08/09/14

**A/N: This is definitely a quick update because I was dying to release this chapter and I hope everyone enjoyed it more than the last chapter. Thank you so much for reading and the wonderful reviews. Please keep them coming, of course!**

**- Nina **


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N: I really do appreciate the wonderful feedback I've been receiving from everyone; all of your opinions matter to me, and I always want to make a reader happy. So, all in all, thank you so much to everyone for reading and discussing your point of view on this fic.**

**Ooh, before I forget, there are a couple things I want to mention; this story is not going to be a carbon copy of the 2005 film. There will be a lot of changes and the dialogue is certainly not going to be word for word like the movie. **

**Obviously, you'll see a lot of similarities, but I hope it makes an interesting different turn considering we've got some of our favorite TVD characters in this. **

**Again, I appreciate all of you equally and I can't wait for you guys to read the following chapter :D**

Chapter Three

Elena Gilbert was in hell. For the past few hours, Damon has been excruciatingly annoying. Every second, he would be talking about something completely random just to piss everyone off; well, with the exception of Jeremy, who only laughed with his friend, while Elena and Stefan remained irritated throughout the ride.

Meanwhile, Klaus and Caroline were calm and collected inside his vehicle while Stefan followed after them. The recently-graduated high school blonde smiled lovingly as she grabbed her handsome boyfriend's free hand and held it.

Without peeling his intense eyes from the road, Klaus smiled and rubbed circles on her palm in a loving gesture.

"Tell me, babe." Caroline spoke softly, turning down the radio so they could have a conversation. Klaus still didn't look at her as he kept his eyes trained on the road ahead. They were already surrounded by forest land and the interstate they were driving on looked abandoned. It was still daylight though, the scenery looked beautiful at least.

"How in the world did I end up so lucky?" she continued. Smiling softly, the look in Klaus' mesmerizing eyes told Caroline that he didn't have to answer that, but just the pure love shown clearly proved to the blonde.

"Love, you may want to switch up; I don't know about you, but I think I'm the only lucky one here. I mean, have you met you, darling?"

She playfully slapped his hand, which made him smile, his dimples clearly showing. "Stop that. I appreciate the flattery and all, but I believe it is I the one who's lucky. I mean, god damn it, Klaus, you're freakin' gorgeous!"

"You know, Caroline; you're friend Elena was right about something; we will have gorgeous babies." His accented voice sent shivers down her spine. There was just something about his voice that made Caroline melt. At the mention of 'babies', Caroline couldn't resist blushing deeply at the thought of that. A part of her knew that her and Klaus were happy and she hoped and prayed every day that their love for each other would only grow stronger. Honestly though, she hoped that they can make that happen one day. After they get married, of course.

Caroline smiled softly and without thinking about it, she leaned forward and kissed his stubbly cheek. It was a sweet chaste kiss but Klaus was not satisfied when she pulled away too quickly.

"Not so fast, love." He smirked before crushing her lips against his in a passionate kiss, making Caroline's eyes widen for a second. But quickly, she closed them and returned his kiss just as passionately.

"Klaus," she whispered breathlessly as she managed to tear away from his mouth. He pouted at her and she said, "Please, watch the road. I don't want to ruin this trip by you getting us into an accident."

"I'm sorry, love, but the idea of 'accidents' and 'me' don't go well together, now do they? Not to worry, Caroline, but I have perfect control of driving, unlike yourself," he finished, teasing her a bit as his darkened eyes focused back on the road.

"You asshole," she punched his shoulder. "I am not a sucky driver, and I have perfect control of driving just as much as you do."

"I'm not convinced." Klaus replied nonchalantly.

"Fine, believe what you want. But you're not getting any from me tonight." Caroline said with a sassy tone as she crossed her arms and looked away from him.

Klaus barked out laughing before he smirked in her direction. "We'll see about that, love."

Back in Stefan's car, Elena and Stefan were discussing about future plans, which wasn't working so much; especially with Damon being all distracting in the background.

"Stefan, I just don't like the idea of settling down in Mystic Falls for the rest of our days." Elena argued. She didn't know exactly know why, but all of a sudden, she was starting to grow annoyed of her boyfriend at the moment. She was still kind of pissed at him earlier for rejecting her right in front of Damon.

"Mystic Falls is our childhood home, Elena. Everything, all of our memories, experiences, I can't imagine living in another place that isn't home. I don't think I'm ready to pack up bags and just take off like that."

"Awe, is Saint Stefan afraid of growing a pair?" asked Damon with a smirk. Jeremy couldn't help it, he laughed.

"Grow up, Damon." Elena rolled her doe eyes. "Dick jokes aren't even funny anymore. Actually, scratch that; they weren't funny to begin with."

"Oh, Elena." The older Salvatore exclaimed dramatically. "Always having to spoil the fun, don't you?"

"She was born a killjoy, man. She can't help it when she's being a sourpuss." Jeremy commented. Elena turned around in her seat to face her younger brother.

"Don't start, Jeremy. I'm five-hundred percent done with Damon's shit. I don't need this from you too." Elena warned before turning around in her seat to face forward.

Damon mimicked a cat growl while Jeremy remarked under his breath, "We've got a bitch alert."

"Stop it, Jeremy." Elena growled, she was seriously starting to get angry. She didn't mean to be this way, but everything felt like a weight on her shoulders and she needed to release it. She felt one of the strands of her long hair being pulled and she slapped the offending hand away.

"God damn you, Damon. Knock it off before I come back there and damage your pretty face."

"Sounds kinky." Damon stated, his eyes burning into her own.

"Damon." Stefan warned, growing awfully annoyed at this point. He was about two seconds away from pulling over and abandoning Damon on the road.

"Calm down, brother. It's not my fault that I'm gorgeous and your girlfriend wants to jump my bones."

"Oh, God. Can you not, dude? That's my sister you're talking about." Jeremy complained. Damon grinned.

"I know."

"Damon, cut the crap. You're being so immature. When are you gonna pull yourself together and act responsible like your brother?" asked Elena angrily, resisting the desire to reach behind her and clock him straight in the jaw.

Damon's eyes darkened so slightly, he absolutely hated when Elena used that bullshit against him.

"I am not Stefan, Elena." He said in such a dark voice, it made her frightened of him for a split second. "Stop trying to turn me into him." He finished the last part almost nonchalantly before turning away from her shocked expression and looking at the window.

Stefan shook his head, furious at his brother, his knuckles turning white from clutching the steering wheel so hard. Elena turned her eyes away from Damon and tried to focus out the window. He was such a dick.

Hours passed and the daylight was slowly fading away into darkness. They were driving on the deserted interstate for hours. Soon, they all pulled into the next gas station they found. It appeared abandoned and creepy-looking but gas was needed so they had to stop. Surprisingly, there was a little mini-mart and it was open, due to the bright light lit inside. Everyone jumped out of the cars to stretch and take a break from sitting for so long.

Cautiously, Caroline and Elena went inside the gas station store to pick out some snacks while the guys hung outside.

"Was douchebag really that bad?" asked Caroline, wincing as her best friend explained to her about the older Salvatore brother.

"He's so infuriating, Caroline." Elena released a deep sigh as she and Caroline walked through the aisles. "I don't know how I'm going to survive this trip for much longer. And he brings out the worst in Jeremy. Whenever Damon's not around, Jer is always cool but as soon as the jackass walks into the door, Jeremy changes and tries to impress him and it pisses me off so much."

"You're right, Damon is a bad influence on your brother."

"Ya think?" Elena winced as she realized she was being a little harsh. "I'm sorry, Care, this isn't like me. Today just wasn't a good start. I'm hoping to God that'll change."

"Yeah. I hope so, too. I don't want this trip to be a disaster, we're all supposed to have fun, not cut each other's throats out, ya know. So, what's going on with you and Stefan?"

Elena sighed. "Ask me that tomorrow."

Caroline grimaced. "Uh-oh. What happened?"

Elena shook her head. "I really don't want to talk about it. It'll only just piss me off even more. I need to avoid that."

"That sucks. I'm sorry, Lena." Caroline apologized sincerely and Elena only shrugged it off like it was no big deal.

"There's nothing to apologize for, Care. It's fine. I'll be fine." Elena told her unconvincingly, but the blonde decided not to question her. "So, what did you and Klaus do during the ride? Did you blow him? I'm surprised you guys actually kept your hands off each other for once." The brunette teased.

"Shush, Lena." Caroline laughed. "We're not _always_ sexually aroused by each other."

"Oh, _please_, Care. You two practically have nonstop eye sex going on twenty-four seven it seems like."

"Can you blame me? Klaus is delicious. Even his name sounds delicious." Caroline playfully wiggled her eyebrows.

Elena sighed while smiling at her friend. "No, I don't blame you, Care. I agree that Klaus is pretty cute."

"Stefan's a cutie too, ya know."

"Yeah, I know." Elena forced a smile but on the inside, she was getting sick at the mention of Stefan. _Everything will be fine in the morning_, Elena reassured herself. Today was just a bad day. _You and Stefan will be fine in the morning._ She only hoped so.

After the girls finished up and purchased their snacks, they went back outside to the guys.

"Oh, thank you, love." Klaus thanked his girlfriend as she handed him his favorite drink. He brought her in close by wrapping his beautiful arms around her middle, making the blonde grin. "You spoil me too much."

"Only because I love you." Caroline smiled before she reached up and pressed a chaste kiss before Klaus deepened it, resulting in his girlfriend moaning.

"Whoa, you two! Get a room!"

Klaus and Caroline both turned to Jeremy, glaring at him.

Jeremy's eyes widened when he saw the death threats clear in their eyes. He chuckled nervously and started to back away. "Yeah, um… you guys can carry on, I'm just going to… yeah." He said awkwardly before turning away.

"So, what's the plan, guys?" Elena spoke out to the entire group. "I mean, are we gonna keep going, or camp out, or what?"

"Keep going," Jeremy said, all eyes going towards the younger teenager. "I want to get to Chicago ASAP, I am not gonna miss this game."

"I thought you weren't excited about this game?" asked Elena as she leaned against Stefan's car.

"Of course, I'm not thrilled that Bonnie's not able to be here with us, but before we left, she told me to have a good time, so I'm gonna follow through her orders." Jeremy said loyally. Damon snorted as he sipped out of a beer. He came to lean on the car next to Elena.

"You're so whipped, man." Damon commented towards Elena's little brother.

"Shut up, dude. I'm not whipped. Bonnie does so much for me—"

"Yeah, yeah," Damon waved him off in a careless manner. "Enough of that sappy shit, I don't want to hear it." The dark-haired man's eyes turned downwards to look at the old road pavement.

"Can you for once care for others rather than yourself?" asked Elena, glaring at Damon for acting like that towards her brother.

"Can you for once stop scolding me like I'm a disobedient child?"

"I will when you stop acting like a disobedient child, Damon."

"You're so cute when you're angry."

"Damon."

"Elena."

"Enough." Stefan broke the banter between the two. "Elena's right, Damon. It feels backwards to have to ask you to be on your best behavior, considering you're my _older_ brother."

"Whatever." Damon dismissed before starting to walk away from everyone. "I don't need this from any of you."

Stefan started to walk after him before Elena shook her head and pulled him back. "Let him go, Stefan. It's not even worth the time."

Stefan sighed, his eyes still locked on his brother's retreating form. "You're right, we never should've brought him."

"Okay, enough of the Damon drama." Caroline said as she broke away from Klaus' embrace. "We still need to figure out what the hell we're doing."

"I say we keep going." Jeremy advised.

"Your opinion's irrelevant, little man." Caroline teased.

"I don't know, I think we should call it a day." Stefan said. "If we keep driving, one of us will fall asleep on the wheel. We need time to rest."

"We can always take turns." Jeremy suggested.

"You don't even have your license yet, Jer." Elena rolled her eyes as Jeremy shot his shorter sister a look.

"Honestly, I'm with Stefan on this." Caroline crossed her arms, her blue eyes regarding everyone. "Everyone needs to rest. We'll find a private spot, set up some tents, we'll go to bed and just wake up early in the morning and get back on the road from there."

"That sounds like a good idea, love." Klaus wrapped his arms around his girlfriend from behind, his stubbly chin resting on her shoulder. Caroline smiled and leaned into his warm touch.

"Thank you, Santa Klaus." Caroline giggled.

The smile wiped off Klaus' face. "Don't ever call me that again, Caroline Forbes."

"Santa Klaus." Caroline repeated, challenging him. Abrupt squeals exploded from Caroline as the English man tickled her sides, showing her no mercy. "O-oh my G-god! Klaus!" she laughed to the point that tears started coming. "S-stop!"

"What were you saying, love?" he teased her, enjoying the sound of her girlish squeals. Elena shook her head at the couple with a smile.

Klaus and Caroline were so open about their relationship; they never hid it from anyone. A blind person would be able to see the love between the two. Elena only wished that she and Stefan could have that same relationship. Speaking of Stefan, Elena glanced at him and noticed that he looked quite annoyed at the couple. Elena looked away, sadness started to build inside her.

"Okay." Klaus said as he finished tickling his girlfriend. He smirked at the state of Caroline; she was breathing heavily, obviously trying to catch her breath, and her top was showing more cleavage. He cleared his throat and tried to peel his eyes away from his gorgeous girlfriend. "Just follow us, Stefan. I'm gonna try to find a private area for us to set camp."

"Sounds good, my friend." Stefan said as he and Klaus shook hands before everyone piled back into their cars.

"Oh God, I was hoping we would avoid camping." Elena grimaced as she buckled herself in the passenger seat.

"What's the matter, Elena?" Damon teased from the backseat. He leaned up so he could whisper in her ear, making her jump. "Afraid of the boogeyman?"

"Hardly." Elena scoffed, although her tone otherwise betrayed her. Ever since she was a little kid, the idea of camping out always freaked her out. It wasn't because she watched horror films; she never watched scary movies. But she hated the thought of being in the complete darkness with only camp fire as the only source of light.

Soon, the two cars were back on the dark road. Stefan followed closely behind Klaus and turned on the radio, changing the station and landing on one talking about the football game they were going to.

_Record crowds are expected for college_ _football's biggest game of the year... as Philadelphia and Chicago…"_

"It's gonna be packed tomorrow." Stefan realized, sighing a bit. He didn't like the idea of _crowded_. That's why he preferred living in small towns like Mystic Falls. He wasn't too fond of cities.

"Speaking of packed," Jeremy spoke up. "My legs are killing me back here, man."

"Don't worry, man. It's not Stefan's fault." Damon said as a hopeful smile blossomed on Elena. Was she hearing Damon defend Stefan? Damon wasn't finished with his sentence, "His little Hot Wheels car only fits two." The smile disappeared from Elena as she turned back and glared at Damon. He only presented a smirk.

"Thanks, Damon." Stefan said sarcastically.

"Anytime, brother." He returned in a suave manner.

About an hour later, Klaus finally found a spot after crossing an old bridge. Elena was growing more and more anxious.

"We're really going further out in the middle of nowhere than I thought we were." Elena observed uneasily.

"Everything will be okay." Stefan assured and surprised her by grabbing her hand and holding it. The sweet gesture caught Elena off-guard but when she looked into Stefan's eyes, all anger that she felt for him earlier disappeared.

Back in Klaus' car, Caroline glanced around in the darkness, a little worriedly. Like Elena, she wasn't fond of camping out too much either.

"Where exactly are we going?" she asked.

"Just looking for some privacy, love." Klaus replied smoothly.

"Are you sure this isn't restricted privacy?" asked Caroline, wondering if someone owned the land.

Klaus shook his head as he began to slow the car down gradually. "Nope, no gate."

Caroline chewed on her lip. "A gate doesn't entirely mean private property."

"What's the problem, Caroline? Have you been watching horror films recently? There's no need to be afraid." He teased as he officially stopped and parked the car before leaning over to kiss her. But Caroline pulled away, seriousness written all over her face.

"Klaus, stop. I have a bad feeling about this. We're out in the middle of nowhere. Think about it."

"Caroline." Klaus stated, beginning to grow serious. "Nothing's gonna happen. I guarantee it. If something is to happen, not to worry; you have four grown men to protect you… well, three actually, the Gilbert boy doesn't count."

It took a moment for Caroline to finally cave. "Okay, whatever you say." But she still didn't look okay with the situation.

"Come now, love." Klaus kissed her sweetly on the lips. At first she was reluctantly before that vanished and she was kissing equally as passionately.

A sharp slam on the window made Caroline jump and gasp, breaking the scorching kiss.

"God damn you, Jeremy!" Caroline shouted as she recognized the younger teenager smirking at them through Klaus' driver's window.

"Scram, punk." Klaus warned.

Immediately, Jeremy did as he was told and ran off.

The blonde's heart was pounding as she tried to calm down. "I swear, this camping trip will be the death of me." Caroline said angrily before getting out of the car and slamming the door.

Klaus was still sitting on the driver's seat, looking pissed off that Jeremy interrupted them like that.

"That kid is dead."

.

.

.

Date Posted: 08/10/14

**A/N: Like it? Hate it? Let me know!**

**- Nina **


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

_Dear Diary, _Elena Gilbert wrote down in her journal. After everyone set up the three tents and got a big camp fire going, the Gilbert decided to settle on a lawn chair, a little away from the others to get her privacy. The source of the fire gave her some light so she could see.

_So, here we are. In the middle of nowhere. Camping out for the night. Sounds like tons of fun, don't it? Note the sarcasm. Anyway, the trip was expectedly a little tedious, and there definitely were moments where I wanted to bash Jeremy and Damon's heads together to make them shut up. _Peeling her eyes from her diary, Elena noticed Caroline and Klaus together by the fire on a separate lawn chair; her blonde friend was occupied on her boyfriend's lap and from where Elena could see, they were awfully busy on making out, a little too much in public.

Shaking her head at the two, Elena saw Jeremy and Damon passing a football around. Her heart fluttered at the sight of them two. The usually cocky Damon Salvatore was actually smiling genuinely and not using that annoying smirk. Jeremy was equally having a good time just as much as Damon and that made Elena grow a little fondness. She was used to seeing the two gang up on her on occasions and make fun of her, so it was pleasantly nice to see that Jeremy and Damon really were closer than she originally thought. A small smile appeared as Jeremy tackled Damon to the grass and successfully snagged the football from him.

She averted her brown eyes and they landed on Stefan that was sitting alone on a lawn chair that was located across from where Klaus and Caroline resided; and yes, they were still practically sucking on each other's mouths. Elena was amused to see that they never really pulled away to breathe. That entertaining thought blew away like leaves from Elena's mind as she stared at her boyfriend.

It's not that Stefan looked miserable; he actually appeared content, as if the fire seemed to relax and ease him. Elena released a sigh and turned back to her journal. _Throughout the day, I admit, I was kind of annoyed by the way Stefan was acting towards me. This morning, when he and Damon were picking me and Jer up, as a failed attempt to get back at Damon, I tried to kiss Stefan more passionately but he practically rejected me. He even told me that he doesn't liked to be called 'baby' and that just really upset me. I was showing my love towards him by calling him that and he totally dismissed my sweet gesture like it was nothing. _

_I still don't know what to think about all of this. Believe me, I love Stefan with all my heart, but I just don't know if there's a place for us in the future. Honestly, I can't see myself staying in a small town like Mystic Falls for the rest of my life. I know I previously said this multiple times, but I don't want safe stability, I want to explore and see what other things are out there. Is it wrong to want a little danger?_

She shut her journal and made her way towards her tent that she was going to share with Stefan. Her suit case was lounging right outside the tent. Making sure the journal was safely hidden in her luggage, she walked straight towards Stefan and took the seat next to him. The fire immediately warmed Elena up.

"Hey." Her boyfriend greeted softly, his eyes staring into the wild flames.

"Hey." Elena replied, trying to relax, but was finding it hard to do so. She couldn't get rid of the anxious feeling of being surrounded by dark forest.

"You look upset." Stefan noticed her uneasy expression.

"We're camping out in the middle of nowhere, Stefan."

"I know. It's fun, isn't it?"

"Not really."

Stefan sighed, he was beginning to feel bad for his girlfriend. He knew how much she hated camping.

"I'm sorry, Elena—"

"Stop apologizing, Stefan. You did nothing wrong."

"I can tell you're still upset about this. With Damon, our futures, this entire trip…"

"Can we just not talk about this? It's fine, Stefan. Just let it go. I'm not in the mood for any drama."

"Okay." Stefan gave in, but he still sounded unconvinced.

"Thank you." Elena whispered as she stared forward, ignoring the concerned look in Stefan's emerald eyes.

Meanwhile, Damon and Jeremy were still playing around like the good buddies they were, passing the football around, away from everyone else.

"So, what was with the stunt you pulled a week ago on graduation?" asked Jeremy curiously, catching the ball that aimed towards him. Damon remained emotionless for a few moments, not saying anything. When Jeremy threw the ball, the raven-haired young man caught it skillfully. He shrugged, like it was no big deal.

"Doesn't matter." Damon cautiously answered before he shrugged off his signature leather jacket and tossed it on the hood of Stefan's car to avoid grass or dirt stains. Dunned in a black T-shirt that was tight against his toned body, Damon threw the ball again to Elena's little brother.

"Yeah, it does, Damon." Jeremy argued calmly as he caught the ball. He paused, carelessly tossing the football back and forth with his hands. "I mean, you always got in trouble in the past. But, showing up completely wasted on your little brother's big day… don't you think that's a little harsh?"

"Life is harsh, Gilbert."

"C'mon, dude. Don't be like that. I know you're capable of being a jackass all the time, but you know, sometimes you take things a little too far. Not only did you manage to piss off Stefan that day, but think about Elena. She was scarily pissed after what you did."

Damon laughed harshly. "What makes you think I care what Mystic Falls sweetheart thinks of me?"

"Don't do that." Jeremy shook his head. "I know you have a thing for my sister, Damon. It's really obvious; I mean, the way you look at her, the way you tease her…"

"I'm not gonna lie, man. Your sister's hot and all, but that doesn't mean I have a 'thing' for her. Would I want to screw her? Maybe, yes. But what guy in Mystic Falls wouldn't want to screw Elena Gilbert?"

"Ugh." Jeremy shuddered. "That's so wrong in so many ways."

"You brought it up, little man."

"You're right, I did. But I'm just saying, I think I have an interesting theory of why you resent Stefan so much."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?" Damon challenged.

"He has everything you don't have, including Elena Gilbert." Jeremy theorized.

Back at the campfire, Caroline and Klaus were still locking lips with each other. She smiled into the kiss; Klaus always made her feel so weak and she loved it. Her feminine hands raised up past his face and gently pulled at his short curly hair, it was incredibly soft.

Klaus' hands were busy rubbing soothing circles on the inside of her clothed thighs. The way she was caressing his hair; he was surprised that he hasn't snatched her up and have his wicked way with her inside their tent.

Caroline moaned softly as his lips trailed down to her neck, she leaned her head back to grant him more access. Her body was heating up at an intense level and it wasn't from the campfire that was doing it.

"Oh, God…" Caroline shivered as he nibbled on her sensitive spot, an arch between her neck and shoulder.

"No, not God, love." Was his sexy whisper response, his teeth gently grazing her ear, making her squirm.

"Oh, Klaus…" She corrected herself, sighing when his hand reached up to palm her breasts through her shirt.

"Much more like it, love."

Before they could continue their heated session, the wind started to pick up and the most horrid stench was in the air. Everyone covered their noses in disgust.

"Okay, I'm officially turned off now." Caroline complained, all desire she was feeling for Klaus instantly disappeared as she buried her nose in his good-smelling sweatshirt while Klaus concealed his face in his girlfriend's blonde hair.

"I think it's time for me to pack my bags and fly back to England." Klaus joked, making Caroline slap his shoulder in return.

"That's terrible." Elena resisted the urge to retch from the awful stench.

"What the hell is that?" Stefan mumbled as he stood up from his seat and walked forward a bit, facing the forest.

"Jeremy, did you crap your pants again?" Damon joked, laughing at the expression of the younger boy's face.

"Shut up, man!" He punched his shoulder, which didn't faze Damon whatsoever.

"Oh God, that's disgusting!" Elena pinched her nose as she got up and walked over to where Stefan was standing.

"Something's dead out there." Stefan realized, his eyes staring ahead.

"Smells like something's dead right here." Caroline whined. "Someone please get me a beer. I'm not gonna stay sober for this shit."

"What's with the language, Barbie?" Damon smirked as he grabbed a beer from the cooler besides the car and tossed the bottle to the blonde which Klaus caught for her.

"Fuck off, Damon." Caroline narrowed her eyes at him.

"Easy, love." Klaus whispered in her ear, making her visibly relax but she still glared at the smirking older man. "And you heard the lady, Damon. Fuck off."

Damon chuckled as he turned away to grab a beer for himself.

"Actually, I'll have a beer too." Elena said, which made Damon look at her curiously. He always took her as the good-girl type that never drank. "Watch out, Damon. You'll catch flies with that open mouth. Can I have that beer, please?"

"As you wish." Damon sighed before he grabbed a cold one for her and tossed it in her direction. She caught it and went back to her chair in front of the fire.

"Do I have permission to say, "_let's get this party started_"?" asked Jeremy with an excited grin as Damon surprisingly passed him a beer as well.

"Yes, Jer." Elena said as she opened her beer with an opener Stefan handed to her. "You have your older sister's permission." She smiled at him.

"Fuck yeah, let's get this party started then!" Jeremy announced.

"You don't have my permission to use language, Jer." Elena said disapprovingly. Her younger brother only laughed at her response and Damon came up beside him and threw an arm over his shoulder.

"Loosen up, Elena. Don't spoil your baby bro's fun. That's my job." Damon said mischievously as he patted Jer on the shoulder.

Music blasted through speakers, resulting in everyone having a good time. Jeremy brought out his iPhone and was taking pictures and recording videos of everyone for memories. He filmed Elena, making her roll her eyes as she occupied the spot next to Stefan.

"Stop it, Jer. Before I take that phone and shove it up your ass." Elena warned, but her threat was less intimidating when she started to smile.

"That's disgusting, Elena." Jer kept his camera trained on his sister. "You would shove my own phone up my ass? You're fucked up, big sis." He joked.

"Hey, what did I say about the language?"

"Kiss my ass."

"No, thank you, Jer. Now, you're the fucked up one." Elena fired back.

"Ooh. Better put some ice on that burn, little man." Damon joked as he occupied himself in a lawn chair that was close to where Elena was sitting.

Jeremy chose Caroline to be his next victim of camera abuse. He wandered towards where Caroline and Klaus were sitting, at this point, Caroline was completely settled in his lap. Klaus' hood was up, obscuring his handsome face. A beer bottle was hanging loosely in his hand.

Caroline had her head close to Klaus', it was quite obvious from the angles they were positioned, they were hiding their little make-out session from everyone, including Jeremy's iPhone.

Jeremy grinned like an idiot. "Gotcha." He whispered softly, making sure nobody heard him. Much to his delight, Stefan and Elena were busy talking to each other and Damon didn't look like he gave a shit.

Jer zoomed in on the couple. Poor Caroline and Klaus still had no idea that they were being filmed. They were in their own little world. Slowly, Caroline's hand inched its way under her boyfriend's hoodie, stroking the smooth skin there. In response to her gesture, Klaus reached his hand up to cup her neck.

Caroline smiled as she pulled back for air and Klaus took this opportunity to nuzzle her neck, making her giggle, due to the fact he was tickling her with the stubble on his face. His hand lowered and rested on her ass, stroking lightly.

Jer smirked at the unaware couple. He flipped the camera so that it faced his teenage face. "Oh yeah, things are about get hot and heavy real fast." He turned the phone back around again to face the pair.

One of Klaus' free hands reached up and rested on the front of the blonde's shirt. For a moment, Jer wondered what the hell he was doing before he noticed Caroline's shirt becoming looser. Klaus was unbuttoning her shirt achingly slowly.

Jeremy's jaw dropped open.

With each button Klaus undid on her shirt, his lips kissed every inch of skin that was revealed as Caroline held him close, little mewls escaping her breathless mouth. Her hand pulled away from the inside of Klaus' sweater to help him undo the rest of the irritating buttons.

Caroline leaned her head back as Klaus unbuttoned to the point where her white lacy bra was shown. Klaus leaned down and immediately kissed the mounts of her revealing breasts.

If it was possible, Jeremy's jaw dropped even more when he noticed Klaus dip his head slightly as Caroline held his head to her chest. Jer slowly inched his way closer, wanting to get a better view of what was going on. He knew for a fact that the couple would rip him to shreds if they found out what he was doing.

Both of Caroline's hands held Klaus' face as he kissed her chest with those desirable lips of his. She lifted his head from her chest and pressed a searing kiss to his swollen lips. Klaus' hand reached down and cupped her ass, bringing her closer than before. The hand that was holding the beer bottle released it as it dropped with a dull thud to the grass; he now used that free hand to pull her hair back out of her face.

Jer was getting way too excited to see where this was going. He zoomed in on Klaus grabbing her ass. He zoomed out to find that Caroline's hands clutched onto his sweatshirt. He stopped walking to the point where he was standing right in front of the couple, enough to see them clearly. Neither of the busy graduates noticed Jeremy's unwanted presence.

Klaus' hand slipped through Caroline's shirt, softly stroking her breasts. Caroline gasped softly at the pleasurable action. Her small hands trailed down from his sweatshirt, down to his jeans. She fingered the outside of the jeans before slowly undoing the button and zipper. Her ass was squeezed in return, making the blonde smile. She positioned her hand at the outside of his boxers, ready to slip her hand underneath.

Jeremy's eyes widened.

"Holy fuck!" he accidentally cursed, revealing himself, forgetting to keep quiet.

His eyes widened even more as Klaus and Caroline pulled apart, turning to stare in surprise at him. Caroline's eyes widened and Klaus glared at the boy with the camera still pointed at them.

"Jesus Christ, Gilbert!" Klaus shouted as he pulled Caroline to his chest, covering her open shirt and his unbuttoned lower half.

Jeremy freaked out and he accidentally dropped his phone after fumbling nervously with it. "Shit!" He cursed as he reached down to pick up his phone.

At this point, everyone's attention was trained on them.

"Seriously, Jeremy?" asked Elena, shaking her head at her nosy brother.

"Jeremy, you nosy little bastard! What the hell were you doing?" Caroline demanded angrily, still crushed in Klaus' protective embrace.

"Nothing. I was doing nothing." Jer defended as he moved away from them to go sit next to Damon, who was looking at the younger boy in pure amusement.

"Fuck, Jeremy. You better not have been filming us." Klaus growled as he used this moment to quickly button and zip up his jeans.

"I wasn't." Jer lied, as he decided to film Stefan and Elena again, much to his own entertainment.

"I take it things are getting hot and heavy over there?" asked Damon with a smirk in Caroline and Klaus' direction. Klaus redirected his glare from Jeremy towards Damon. He raised a hand and pointed it at him, signaling him to shut up. Damon took the hint. "Okay, it's all cool. We all get those urges."

"Shut up, Damon." Caroline rolled her eyes.

Jeremy was having way too much fun as he decided to film the disheveled couple again. He noticed that Caroline was helping Klaus sort out his clothing.

"Hey, aren't you gonna button up your shirt, Care?" asked Jer jokingly. Caroline flashed him her middle finger. "So feisty." Jer laughed as Caroline moved off of her boyfriend's lap and began to button and fix her shirt.

Once her shirt was buttoned, Caroline reoccupied her place on his lap. "You're going to pay for that, Jeremy. I swear to God!"

"I'm shaking in my boots." Jer deadpanned before he looked down to see what shoes he was wearing. "Or I'm shaking in my Nikes." He redirected the camera's penetrating gaze back to Elena as she was busy talking to Stefan again. She noticed Jeremy filming her again.

"Oh my God, Jer. I'm going to kill you." Elena pointed her finger at him.

"Fine. Sourpuss." Jer rolled his brown eyes as he started to put his phone away before he realized that his sister got up on her feet and was running towards him. Jer defended himself, "No, wait, it's off!"

"Give me that! Ooh, and the tables turn!" Elena laughed as she grabbed the phone away from her brother and focused the video on him this time. Jer turned shy in front of the camera. "It's about time you get a taste of your own medicine." Elena chuckled as Jer kept backing away.

Caroline got off her boyfriend's lap, making him protest loudly as she skipped after Elena.

"Awe, look how cute you look on camera." Caroline cooed as she and Elena cornered the sixteen year-old outside one of the tents. "You know, I think we might have to give him a makeover."

"Uh-oh." Elena joked as Jeremy attempted to hide himself in one of the tents.

"Ready or not, here we come!" Caroline sang teasingly as the girls went inside the tent with him.

They laughed as they heard his groans of protests, making Stefan, Klaus, and Damon chuckle as they remained by the camp fire.

"All right, I think we're done." Elena announced proudly, she was still pointing the camera at her brother who looked like he was having a miserable time.

Caroline smiled mischievously and said to an annoyed Jeremy, "Think of this as _part_ of the payment for what you did earlier."

"What, when you were about to shove your hands down Klaus' pants?" Jeremy teased. Elena made a disgusted noise while Caroline rolled her eyes.

"Just 'cause you're not getting some," Caroline shot back, smiling while Elena inched her way out of the tent.

"You're coming out, little bro." Elena told her little brother.

Jer shook his head frantically. "No, I'm not."

"But you look so cute," the blonde next to him protested. "Bonnie would be so proud of us."

"Plus, if you don't, I will be so mad." Elena was officially outside the tent, the camera pointed to the entrance. "Caroline, I think he needs a little encouragement."

Caroline smirked and used this opportunity to push Jer out of the tent.

"Damn it, Caroline." Jer grumbled as Caroline followed out after him, a look of triumph plastered on her face. Elena laughed at the expression on her brother's face. They changed him into a colorful sweater and putting dorky sunglasses on him.

"You look so cute, Jer." Elena teased.

"Very funny." Jeremy deadpanned. Looking extremely embarrassed, Jer turned to the guys hesitantly and said, "Hey."

"You look like Elton John, but more gay." Klaus commented, making Damon burst out laughing.

"Elton John is gay?" Jeremy joked.

Caroline laughed and said to him, "I hate to break it to you, Jer, but I'm afraid you're going to get nowhere in life."

"Ha. Ha." Jer sarcastically remarked.

Smiling, Caroline made her way back to her boyfriend's lap.

"Did you have fun?" asked Klaus, amused. Caroline's hands reached up and cupped his face. She leaned close.

"Tons." With that, she closed the distance between them.

"Why don't you ever make me that pretty, Elena?" Stefan joked as Elena came down to sit on his lap, Jeremy's phone still clutched in her hand.

"You're already pretty, Stefan." Elena smiled at him and lowered herself to kiss him before she felt her brother come over and snatch the phone from her hands.

"Give me my phone back, man, c'mon." Jer complained and started to record everyone again, but this time, nobody gave a shit anymore.

He zoomed in on Klaus and Caroline. "Oh, yeah. Let me get some of that action." He switched it to Elena and Stefan, "That's gross." Then he started to walk over to Damon whose eyes were looking into the campfire.

When Damon realized Jeremy was approaching and filming him, a small smirk escape him as he said, "Don't even think about it, I ain't kissing you, man."

Jeremy only laughed. "Don't lie to me, Salvatore. You know you want to. Ha. Psyche. I wouldn't kiss your ass for shit."

At that moment, bright headlights lit up the campsite. Everyone stopped what they were doing and noticed a large pickup truck.

"What the fuck?" asked Caroline, squinting her eyes from the blinding light.

The person inside the truck didn't even turn off the lights; the creep just sat inside his vehicle, watching the group of kids.

Elena's heart plummeted to her stomach.

"What the hell?"

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Date Posted: 08/11/14

**A/N: Can we just take a moment to talk about the tragic loss of Robin Williams? Apparently, he was found dead this morning. The authorities claim it to be suicide. Wow. I'm shocked. He was one of my favorite comedic actors. R.I.P. Robin, you will be dearly missed by millions. **

**Other than that shocking discovery, I want to thank everyone for your support. I really appreciate it :D **

**- Nina **


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Shivers crawled up like insects on Elena's spine. That nervous feeling she was experiencing earlier returned. Goosebumps grazed her flesh and it wasn't from the cold atmosphere. As an attempt of comfort, she slipped her hand under Stefan's, trying to feel some sort of protection. But the problem was, she didn't feel at all protected from her boyfriend, for some odd reason.

"Yeah?" called out Stefan, his hand shielding his eyes from the blaring light. The person in the truck didn't respond or make a movement to get out of the vehicle.

"Can we help you?" added Klaus, starting to get impatient. Caroline's heart sped and she clutched on to her boyfriend.

"Hey, can you turn off your lights, please?" asked Stefan, trying his best to remain polite.

"This is getting creepy." Caroline commented, before Klaus gently pushed her from his lap. He stood up and started to walk forward. Hesitantly, Caroline followed and stood directly behind him.

"What does he want?" questioned Stefan in confusion as he rose from his seat, he walked towards where Klaus was standing so they stood in front of the vehicle, but they were a fair distance away.

"Maybe we're on his property." Elena suggested, as she too got up from her seat and walked up to everyone else.

"No, we didn't pass a gate." Klaus told Elena without taking his eyes off the truck. Caroline shot Klaus a look.

"Hey, man, turn your lights off!" shouted Jeremy before Elena pushed her brother behind her, guarding him like the protective sister she was.

Damon who was sat silently the entire time; he exhaled slowly. He was starting to get extremely annoyed.

"Turn your bloody lights off!" Klaus barked and anger began to course through his system. "That's it. I'm gonna—"

Stefan stopped Klaus, putting a hand on his chest, trying to calm him down before things turned to chaos. "Whoa there. It's cool." His emerald eyes never peeled away from the mysterious stranger.

Damon narrowed his ice eyes at the truck and sighed. His annoyance got the best of him. With almost no hesitation, the older Salvatore stood up from his seat. With no warning, he harshly chucked the empty beer bottle, aiming it towards the truck. It smashed one of the headlights in response. Only one light remained lit.

"Damon!" Elena yelled, turning to look in disbelief at the older Salvatore brother.

Ignoring her, Damon moved past everyone, standing in front, his eyes piercing as he gave death glares at the motionless truck. Everyone stood quietly in suspense, waiting for the person inside the truck to do something.

Much to their surprise, the person did absolutely nothing.

"Guys, stop condescending the truck." Caroline whispered low enough for everyone to hear. Her friends were acting so dumb, they could easily get hurt if this guy was up to no good. "You do realize he has the upper-hand in this situation; he can easily run us all over if he wanted to."

Before anyone could reply to Caroline, the truck reversed itself, pulling away from the campsite. Finally, the truck drove away.

"Yeah!" Jeremy cheered, while Elena glared at him. "That was awesome, Damon. You're the man!"

"Don't encourage him, Jeremy." Elena smacked her brother's arm before turning to the raven-haired man who was still standing where he was, his eyes still on the empty spot where the creepy truck used to be.

"What the hell was that, Damon?" interrogated Elena furiously.

"Relax, Elena." His eyes rolled. "The trucker was being nothing but a little bitch. He… or she… deserved it."

"That was a serious dick move." Caroline commented, as she stepped over to her best friend and the raven-haired jerk.

"I save your sorry asses and this is what I get in return?" questioned Damon with a sardonic smile. "Right. That's fucking awesome. Fine, next time, I just won't bother." He turned away from the girls, and went back to his own little private spot in his chair, away from everyone else.

"Shit." Caroline mumbled, her hands reaching up and swiping her blonde curls away. "Well, now what the hell do we do?—"

Caroline realized that Elena and she were the only ones remaining standing. All the guys went back to their respective places by the blazing fire, as if a random creepy truck hadn't appeared just a few minutes ago. Elena noticed this with Caroline.

"What are you guys doing?"

Klaus answered Elena casually, sounding quite content that the truck was gone. "Oh, come now, Lena, Caroline. The idiot's gone now. Just calm down."

"Calm down?" asked Caroline, starting to get angry. "Are you _fucking_ kidding me? A creepy truck just randomly decided to show up and the person inside did absolutely nothing. Don't you think that's a little creepy? Why don't you place a little more common sense in that brainless head of yours and let's just get the hell out of here!"

Caroline Forbes in the first time in her life, was starting to feel hysterical. Those few moments ago, she was so terrified, and the group wasn't helping by trying to patronize the truck. They could've been seriously hurt, or worse, if the person inside the truck actually did something.

"Caroline, love, are you done? He's gone and if he has the balls to return, I'll protect you no matter the circumstances." Klaus said irritatingly calm, as he got up from his chair and started to advance towards his girlfriend, who looked like she was about to break down in tears.

"You ignorant ass!" Caroline shrugged away from Klaus when he tried to wrap his arms around her. "No. Get off me. You're an idiot." With that, she stomped away, heading straight to her tent.

"Caroline." Klaus sighed. "Don't."

"No, you _don't_, _Niklaus_." She never used his real name unless if she was very upset; this was one of those rare moments. "I can't believe you right now. If you would pull your pompous head out of your damn ass, you will understand why I'm angry at you. Goodnight." Not waiting for an answer, Caroline stomped inside the tent, zipping herself in.

Klaus stood frozen to his spot next to Elena.

"Wow. Barbie's got a mouth on her." Damon commented.

"Shut up, Damon." Stefan rolled his eyes.

"I don't shut up, I grow up, and when I look at you, I throw up." Damon shot back, presenting a winning smirk towards his brother's direction.

"Burn!" Jeremy yelled, laughing at the look on Stefan's face.

"I'm surrounded by idiots." Elena sighed as she begrudgingly sat back down at her seat. She wanted to go see Caroline and comfort her, but she figured the blonde needed to be left alone for a while. Never face the wrath of a pissed-off Caroline Forbes. Even Klaus knew when to leave her be.

Elena couldn't shake off that spine-tingling feeling that was running through her system. That was so weird, so strange. She's never been in a situation like that before; and she didn't know how to respond. What the hell is one supposed to do when forced in a situation like that?

Elena knew it was definitely wrong for her friends to respond negatively to the truck that way; Caroline was right, the person in the truck did have the upper-hand in that odd situation. Damon only made things worse by throwing a bottle and smashing one of the headlights. She couldn't believe that he did that; is he asking for a death wish?

Soon, everyone was silent, the only sound was the fire crackling.

Later, the group of six friends was drained and out only an hour later. Damon and Jeremy shared a tent. Caroline and Klaus. Then Stefan and Elena. Elena was still up, shining a flashlight down at her precious journal that she heavily cherished. Stefan was sound asleep beside her.

_This trip is becoming a bigger hassle than I imagined before. _Elena concentrated, her hand writing on its own accord. _The weirdest and creepiest thing happened tonight. A pick-up truck, out of nowhere, decided to show up at our camp. I remember being so scared, because of the fact that the person didn't do anything, only just stayed in his truck, the lights shining brightly on us… watching us, it feels like. _

Painful shivers pricked her like a needle. She was starting to shake and it wasn't from the cold air.

_It was one of those rare moments where I wanted to do something about the situation, but all I could do was freeze up in shock and watch the scene unfold in front of me. I wish I could've done something, especially to prevent Damon from vandalizing the truck. _

_What the hell could I have done? Would it have been a dumb move to calmly walk up to the vehicle and interrogate the person inside? I have no freaking idea. God, I feel stupid right now. Never have I been forced in a strange scenario like this. I simply didn't know how in the world to react. I only wish I could've done something different rather than just stand there glued to the spot with my mouth hanging open._

A distinct sound was heard outside, and Elena heard it. Her body tensed and her hand froze on the spot. She was experiencing that moment again; the one where she wanted to do something but her body couldn't respond to her mind. She remained frozen, waiting for something.

Some good moments passed and nothing else was heard. _It was probably just an animal wandering around, _Elena tried to convince herself. Willing her body to relax, Elena tried to focus on her journal entry once more, trying to ignore the bad vibes she was getting.

_Paranoia is consuming me. Damn. Now, I'm beginning to wish that Klaus never won those stupid football tickets. Then maybe we wouldn't be stuck in this situation. Klaus and Caroline wouldn't be fighting. Stefan and I wouldn't be arguing with each other. I certainly wouldn't be dealing with Damon. _

_This is supposed to be the beginning of my very last summer; everyone is supposed to be relaxing and having a good time, not yelling and putting each other down. I should've never agreed to go on this trip. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day. Please, God, let tomorrow be an exciting day. _

_And please have Damon on his best behavior— _

Her hand stopped writing as she heard another noise. It sounded like a twig snapped. She could hear soft footsteps around and the panic set inside. Closing her journal, she carefully shook Stefan, trying to wake him.

"Stefan," Elena whispered. She slapped his face multiple times softly to ease him awake.

"Elena," his voice was groggy, his eyes barely open.

"I hear something out there."

"It's okay." Stefan was falling back asleep. "You're hearing things, Elena. It's nature. There are tiny animals that roam around at night…" With that, he fell back asleep.

"Thanks for the help, _boyfriend_."

She couldn't believe this, her own boyfriend wouldn't get up to investigate the weird noises outside.

Well, if he wasn't, then she was. Elena grabbed the flashlight and looked around the tent, hoping to find some sort of weapon to defend her in case something were to happen. She silently cursed herself when there was nothing inside, just the pillows and blankets they brought in. With a flashlight in one hand and her diary in the other, she inched her way towards the front.

Slowly, attempting not to make noise, Elena began to unzip her tent. Much to her surprise, the fire was still glowing, allowing her to see some of her surroundings instead of surrounded by darkness.

Turning off the flashlight, she decided it would be the best use for something as she held it tightly, waiting to strike if something happened. She didn't know why, but she felt a presence. As if the person was silently inviting her to come out. Surprise took her as she actually gained courage to completely step out of the tent.

Elena wished she would've brought warmer clothing. Even though it was June, the night air was still awfully cool. She shivered. A pair of shorts and a tank-top shouldn't have been her number one wardrobe choice for pajamas. She heavily wished she brought sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

She felt extremely exposed right now and it was starting to freak her out, a bit. She defocused on the cold air and started to survey her surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place or unusual. Maybe the noise she heard was the fire crackling harshly. But for some unknown reason, she knew it wasn't the fire. And that terrified her. What if it was the guy from the truck earlier? She prayed to God it wasn't.

Elena hunched over as she looked around the desolate area. Her feet were bare as she walked hesitantly on the dewy grass. She should've brought warm, thick socks. She noticed her suit case by Stefan's vehicle, it was left where she previously put it. Looking around, making sure nobody was there, she quickly opened it to see if anything was missing.

She wanted to slap herself for forgetting about her luggage. She should've placed it in Stefan's truck. Although nothing seemed to be missing. Or at least she hoped. With a small sigh, she tossed her diary in her suit case before zipping it back up. She stood up and her brown eyes observed the area once more. She couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was watching her from a distance. That terrifying thought alone raised the hairs on her body.

After surveying around, she decided to give up and sneak back into the tent. Elena gasped as she felt a warm hand slide around her stomach and the other clapped over her mouth. Her body stiffened and she attempted to scream for help but the hand covering her mouth only muffled her voice.

"Do I have to babysit you 24/7?"

Elena visibly relaxed when she recognized that smooth voice. He wouldn't hurt her. She sagged in front of him. His large hand released her mouth but he made no goal to leave her embrace. His arm still wrapped around her stomach, Elena noticed.

"What the hell are you doing, Damon?" asked Elena. In a way, she was thankful that it was the older Salvatore and not someone else with malicious intentions.

Much to her surprise, Damon leaned his head down and nuzzled his face on her back of her neck, caressing the thick dark hair of hers that he secretly loved. Elena was even more surprised that her skin tingled from the exciting sensation. What the hell was he doing to her?

"Is Saint Stefan so bad in bed that you have to wander around looking for a real man to sate your needs?"

His voice was velvet. Elena's chocolate orbs closed on their own accord as she leaned into his scorching touch. His hands traced along her body, and she bit back the strong urge to moan at his touch. Then, like that, Elena thought of Stefan. And here she was, allowing herself to be felt up by his older brother.

Guilt plagued Elena Gilbert.

She elbowed Damon's gut hard so his arm released from her middle. Taking advantage of being free from his embrace, Elena pushed him back and put some distance between them.

He looked at her slightly confused and then a slow smirk spread on his face. He always liked it when she used her feisty side against him. It made things a lot more fun.

Attempting to sound strong, Elena sounded breathless and weak when she yelled in a whisper, "Stop it, Damon. What happens behind closed doors between Stefan and I is none of your business."

"You're right." Damon replied, easily. "It is none of my business and I hope it stays out of my business. My business right now is what happens between you and me. Me and you. Is it crazy to think that I like the idea of _us_?"

Elena glared at him; she thought he was playing with her. Trying to get into her head and mess with her brain. Why did he always do this with her?

"I'm done with you tonight, Damon. Goodnight."

And with that, Elena marched straight back towards her tent. Before she zipped it up, she flipped Damon off, making him show a faint smile before he trailed back to go to his own tent.

Once Elena settled back in her sleeping bag, sleep overcame her within minutes.

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Caroline Forbes slowly began to peel her eyes open from her deep sleep when the sun rays started to hit the tent, pouring in light. She had to admit, that was the most difficult sleep she'd had ever. All night, she's been worried that something bad might happen but thankfully, she didn't hear noises.

Turning over to the other side, she was met by a sleeping Klaus. He was so peaceful in his sleep, all the tension on his face softened, making him appear younger. Smiling, Caroline reached up with a sluggish hand and lazily traced the lines of his face, listening to him breathe.

"And good morning to you, love," he mumbled out, smiling as he felt her soft fingertips on his face.

"Good morning," Caroline gently smiled as she reached over and kissed his lips sweetly.

"I take it you're not mad at me anymore."

"Well, we're still alive and not hacked up into pieces, so there's a start."

"I told you, love, I would never let anything happen to you." Klaus opened his ocean eyes completely and regarded her sincerely.

"I know." Caroline caressed his face that grew more stubble, although he made it look extremely sexy. "That's why I love you."

Klaus smiled at her response before pulling her down to share a tender kiss.

In Stefan and Elena's tent, Elena was already awake. She was laying on her side and staring at her boyfriend's almost flawless face. She was stuck in deep thought. Last night, she was so scared, afraid that something was out there. Even though Damon was trying to be a jerk by seducing her, she was thankful it was him and not just some random serial killer.

Stefan, who woke up a few seconds before, noticed his girlfriend staring down at him, but she looked like she was thinking about something.

"You're staring." Stefan stated, closing his eyes once more. Elena broke out of her deep thoughts when she heard her boyfriend. Even though she wasn't really staring at him, she decided to play along.

"I'm gazing." She corrected playfully.

"It's creepy." He joked.

"It's romantic." She giggled.

Much to her disappointment, Stefan didn't kiss or acknowledge her comment. Instead, he sat up and started to leave the tent, probably to go relieve himself. Once he was out, Elena stared out the tent disappointedly. It seemed like their relationship wasn't having that spark like it used to be.

"Get a grip, Gilbert." Elena whispered to herself as she pushed away the blankets and crawled out of the tent. The sunlight blinded her, it reminded her of the headlights from the truck the night before. An absent sigh of relief escaped her. Thank God, nothing bad happened last night.

A sly look crossed Elena as she glanced at Caroline's tent. She tip-toed towards the tent and heard low moaning noises coming from the inside. She couldn't help herself, she snickered and decided to give them a good wake-up call.

Without warning, Elena shook their tent hard. "Rise and shine, kiddies. Time to get up. We've got a game to catch!"

"Don't be such a cock block, Lena." She heard Klaus' annoyed voice from inside the tent.

Elena laughed and decided to leave them alone as she trailed towards her suit case. She hid her iPhone inside one of the pockets and checked to see what time it was. Only 8:30 in the morning. Not bad timing. The game started later that night, so this was perfect.

She decided to call her mom to let her know that they were okay before she realized that she possessed zero reception on her phone. So much for camping out in the middle of fucking nowhere. Elena decided she would call her next time she gets reception. Placing her phone back in the pocket, Elena searched for her journal since it was a morning routine for her.

Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion as she shuffled through the clothing in her case.

"That's weird." Elena mumbled. She was sure she placed her journal inside her suit case last night, before she encountered Damon as he tried to seduce her but ultimately failed.

Maybe it was inside the tent. Elena checked around the campus, completely confused as to where the diary went. A horrifying thought entered her head as she thought about her lost journal. If she did lose it, anyone could get a hold of it. All her secrets and feelings were inside that diary.

"Where the hell did it go? I just had it last night." Elena was frantic as she kept looking. All of a sudden, it dawned on her. "Damon." She snarled in anger. It had to been him, after all, he was the only one out there with her when she hid it back in her luggage. He must've snuck it out of her bag when she went back inside her tent to sleep.

Elena Gilbert turned into Godzilla.

Furiously, she marched straight towards Jeremy and Damon's tent. Ripping open the tent zipper, she crawled in, noticing that the two men were still asleep. She noticed Damon was sleeping with his shirt off and the blankets rested at his waist, giving Elena a view of his delicious body.

Elena shook her head; no time to be checking out Damon Salvatore.

Grabbing a pillow from Jeremy, she slammed the pillow as hard as she could on Damon's face.

He jolted awake at the intrusion. Adorable confusion swept his face before he recognized an angry Elena Gilbert.

"Where is it?" she demanded.

"Where's what?" he asked in slight annoyance, closing his eyes again. What the hell is she talking about now?

The only response he got was another harsh slap from the pillow to the face. This time, Damon sat up, equally as angry as she was, and with strong force, he snatched the offending pillow from her hands and tossed it to the other side of the tent, out of her reach.

"Don't screw with me, Damon. I know it was you." Elena was close to baring teeth like a vicious dog. She was so pissed at him.

"Don't get me wrong, Elena. I'd love to screw your brains out, but I'm afraid I'm a little slow this morning. So, you're going to have to elaborate on what you're yelling at me about."

"The journal, Damon Salvatore! Where is it?"

"What journal? Stefan's diary?" Damon snickered.

"Mine." Elena gritted out.

"Oh, I didn't know you had a diary, Elena. Does it have me in it?" Damon wiggled his eyebrows. "Do you write sexual fantasies about me? Because I can make them happen."

Her cheeks burned in embarrassment. But she wasn't going to get intimidated by him anymore so she looked him straight in the eye.

"Knock it off, Damon. Just stop. You got me, okay? Please, give me my diary back." She said on a softer note, trying to calm down.

"I hate to break it to you, babe. But I don't have this diary you speak of. I can't wait to find it though and get my hands on it." He smiled slyly.

With an angry cry, she raised a hand to slap him but before she could make contact with his cheek, he caught her wrist in one fluid movement.

"Don't ever do that again." He warned her seriously. She wretched her wrist from his hand and shook her head.

"Stop, Damon. Just give me my journal." She tried softly, her eyes pleading.

"I already told you, Elena. I don't have it." Damon replied in a stern tone.

"Oh, really?" Elena wasn't convinced. "Then who took it? Huh? You were the only one out there last night after I put it back in my bag."

"After you went back inside your tent, I returned to mine. End of story. I may be a dick, but I wouldn't go through your luggage to see your belongings, Elena."

Elena paused. She regarded his face intently, trying to study his emotions. He looked like he was telling the truth. For the first time ever in a long time, Elena Gilbert was looking at a very serious and calm Damon Salvatore. Usually, he was always fooling around. But seeing him now… she wished she could see more good in him. She knew he always hid it.

Elena sat back as she mumbled, "That's odd."

Damon looked at her curiously.

"I swear I put it back in my suit case last night and that was before you came out. Do you swear to me that you didn't take it?"

"Elena," Damon rolled his eyes. As much as he liked to play and tease her, he seriously didn't have this diary of hers.

"Do you swear?" Elena repeated.

With a sigh, Damon replied, "Scout's honor."

Confused, Elena began to back out of the tent, ignoring the strange look that Damon was giving her. Stepping out into the beautiful morning, Elena blindly walked back to her luggage.

That's so weird. Then a thought of terror pierced her. What if there was someone that came back last night? That would explain the noises she kept hearing. But then she thought again…

Out of all things, why would the person only take her diary? Why not her cell phone? Anxiously, Elena searched through the rest of her bag and sighed in relief when she found her purse hidden inside along with her credits cards, I.D., and cash.

She shook her head. It was so late last night and she was a bit buzzed from the beers, she must've accidentally dropped it somewhere. She'll find it. She only hoped that nobody found it. That would be humiliating.

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.

Soon, everyone was up and going; packing up the tents and changing for the day. Caroline and Elena left the boys so they could do their business in the woods. Elena was finishing relieving herself as she pulled her up her jeans.

"So, is everything cool between you and Stefan now?" asked Caroline in a concerned tone. The blonde was busy changing into new clothes and putting her hair up in a ponytail.

"We're just in different places right now." Elena answered, sadly. She put on a large black sweatshirt that had her school initials on it. Underneath, she was wearing a white cotton tank-top.

Caroline was about to respond to her when a small gust of wind passed through. Both girls groaned, remembering the horrible smell from last night.

Caroline pinched her nose. "Oh my God, there's that disgusting smell again. What the hell is that?"

Elena turned and pointed in a direction. "It smells like it's coming from over there."

Caroline laughed sarcastically. "Okay. That's a fantastic idea. Let's go follow the smell."

"I wanna see what it is." Elena responded as she started to walk towards the source of the smell. Caroline reluctantly followed behind her.

"Elena, this is a bit weird. I think we should just got back, pack our shit, and get the hell out of here. This place is already giving me the creeps." Caroline said as she looked around her surroundings of the forest land. It reminded her of a Tim Burton movie with the twisted branches.

"C'mon, we'll be fine." Elena assured, as she kept walking forward.

"I cannot believe you're making me do this." Caroline groaned as she pinched her nose, the horrid stench only becoming stronger. "Only you."

"Suck it up." Elena teased.

"Did I mention I hate you?" Caroline added.

Elena turned around to look at her friend and laughed at the pure look of disgust on her face. She turned and continued pacing forward, not noticing a small cliff in front of her. Elena fell down face-first, sliding violently down the muck, and down into a massive pile of bloody animal carcasses.

She screamed.

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Date Posted: 08/13/14

**A/N: Review please?**


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

Caroline gasped in shock as her best friend went tumbling down the dirty muck and right into a massive pile of road kill.

"Oh my God, Elena!" cried out Caroline, trying her best not to gag at the strong stench that was starting to burn her nostrils and eyes. The blonde peered over the cliff and her jaw dropped when she saw Elena struggling to get out.

"Caroline! I'm stuck! Help!" Elena squirmed desperately in the disgusting yuck. She tried to push herself backwards but unfortunately her hands kept slipping in the blood and guts.

"Guys!" Caroline shouted into the woods, hoping to gain the guys attention. "Hold on, Elena! I'm coming down there to help you out!" Carefully, Caroline slid down the cliff, hanging on to branches and trees for support so that way she didn't fall the same way Elena did. "I'm almost there. Hang on."

"To what?" Elena shouted back, fighting the revolting urge to puke. It's a good thing she didn't eat anything this morning. "Oh God!" Everywhere his hands touched, it was mushy and disgusting.

"I'm here!" Caroline gasped out as she grabbed the back of Elena's legs and attempted to pull her out. "Elena, try to push yourself out!"

"I can't, it's too fucking slippery!" Elena gagged out. Accidentally looking up, her heart dropped to her stomach as she saw something peeking out from the middle of the pile. "Oh my God!" she cried out in horror. Peeking out from the road kill, it appeared to be a severed hand, its fingers decayed and curled up. Absolutely terrified at this point, Elena started freaking out again.

Unfortunately for the blonde who was trying to help the brunette out, she saw what Elena was looking at. "HOLY SHIT! GUYS! HELP US! PLEASE" Caroline practically screamed at the top of her lungs.

Thankfully, they heard shouts from the distance.

"We're down here!" Caroline called back.

A few seconds later, Stefan and Klaus came rushing down. Jeremy and Damon followed after them.

"Oh my God, Elena!" Stefan slid down the short cliff and met the girls down. "Here! I got her!" Stefan gently pushed Caroline away as he lifted Elena by her stomach, successfully pulling her out of the sickening pit of dead animals. Gently, he laid Elena on her back as she sighed out in relief.

"Caroline!" Klaus grabbed her by her shoulders and surveyed her, making sure she was okay. "Fuck! Are you all right?"

"I'm not the one who dropped down into road kill." Caroline answered evenly, allowing Klaus to wrap his strong arms around her. She returned the embrace.

"Oh, God! That's some nasty shit!" Jeremy waved the filthy air around him.

"Yep. That smells about right." Damon said as he covered his nose.

"Oh God!" Elena groaned, completely disgusted. Her arms were covered in filth and her sweatshirt was dirty from the tumble down the muck. "That's foul." She whispered before she shed off the thick sweatshirt that was concealed in road kill remains. Thank God her white tank-top underneath wasn't soiled in blood.

"Elena, oh my God, are you okay?" asked Caroline as she stepped away from Klaus and stood in front of her friend.

"Other than the fact that I touched animal carcasses, I'm dandy." The sarcasm in the brunette's voice was not missed.

"Shit. Here. I have water in here to clean off your hands." Caroline dug through her purse and brought out a water bottle for Elena.

"Care, you're a life-saver." Elena sighed in relief as together, they cleaned off the muck of her tanned hands as much as they could.

"It's what I do best," said Caroline, smiling at her friend as all the dirty remains came clean off Elena's hands and arms.

"Hey, is that the truck from last night?" asked Jeremy, pointing across the pit. Everyone turned forward where Elena's little brother was looking and noticed a dirty pick-up truck backing up towards the pit.

"Not unless he fixed his headlight last night," Klaus observed.

The person inside the pick-up truck backed up against the pit, putting the vehicle to park before stepping out. Elena watched as a hick stepped out of his truck. The man looked about in his forties and his hygiene looked extremely disgusting. She could only imagine how badly the man smelled.

As if the man didn't see the group of kids standing from the other side of the pit, he focused on climbing to the back of his truck, bringing the hood down to reveal the carcass of what used to be a deer.

Disgusted, both Elena and Caroline turned away as the man grabbed the carcass with no problem and slid the dead animal into the pit of road kill. This man must've been doing this for years due to the massive quantity.

"Hey!" Stefan called out to the hick, catching his attention.

"Sir." Elena spoke up this time, making the redneck's attention snap to her. She pointed towards a hand that was buried amidst the pile. "Do you see that? What the hell is that?"

Knowing exactly what Elena was pointing to, the man jumped down from the back of the truck. Wordlessly, he took slow steps toward it.

"What is he doing?" asked Caroline, growing extremely uneasy. She didn't like where this was leading to and wanted nothing more than to just leave this place be and never look back. All Caroline Forbes wanted to be was back in Mystic Falls at this point, and that was saying a lot. This trip was not going the way she wanted it to be.

The redneck stopped walking as soon as he stood directly in front of the dirty hand that was poking out of the carcasses. Agonizingly slow, the man knelt down and actually reached for it. Elena clutched on to Stefan, her eyes growing wide.

"Oh my God!" groaned Caroline as she buried her face in Klaus' shoulder, not wanting to witness this gruesome sight.

"What the fuck are you doing, man?" shouted Damon as he began to back up a little. Was this man insane? Most likely.

The man ignored the shocked and disgusted looks of the kids as he grabbed onto it with both hands. He twisted and pulled harshly before it popped out, making everyone briefly jump back or scream. A teasing smile came across the redneck's mouth as he revealed the hand to be nothing but a prank. It was just a plastic hand.

Elena released a sigh of relief.

Caroline rolled her eyes, not believing this.

"Anyone need a hand?" the redneck joked, laughing. No one else laughed; the entire situation wasn't funny. It was disgusting and downright disturbing. "I'm just fooling. It's not real. See?" The man knocked on the plastic thing to further prove his point.

"Jesus Christ." Caroline sighed as she stepped away from Klaus and took a spot next to Elena again. "What are you gonna do with that repulsive sweatshirt?" she asked, pinching the material between her fingers, holding it away from them as if it was going to come alive and bite them.

"Ugh. Get rid of it. There's no point in keeping that infested thing anymore." Elena said as she poured more water on her hands, scrubbing her fingernails clean.

"Thank God, I wouldn't dare stick this soiled sweatshirt in a washer. That would considered torture for the poor appliance. I sure as hell wouldn't want this thing inside my washing machine. Imagine having to clean up the inside after."

"I don't want to imagine, but thanks for the revolting image anyway, Care." Elena said, chuckling before she officially got her hands and arms cleaned. But she could still smell some of the lingering muck on her arms.

"Pardon me for intruding, but what are you kids doing down here for?" asked the redneck curiously as he tossed the plastic hand away like trash.

"We were just camping out here last night through those trees." Stefan explained, pointing behind him.

"Elena, I apologize for us taking too long to find you ladies stuck down here." Klaus said sincerely to the brunette.

"No worries, Klaus. It's all good." Elena waved it off like it was no big deal. But on the inside, she was mad at herself for being so careless and getting stuck in a sticky situation – literally.

"Hey, man, do you happen to know if there is a gas station around here?" asked Stefan, looking at the redneck for answers.

"I have some gas in the truck if you—"

"We need a fan belt." Stefan interrupted. Only a few minutes ago before the girls desperately called for their help, Stefan found out that the fan belt in his car had been broken.

"What?" questioned Elena, turning to her boyfriend.

"Just busted," he supplied in an upset tone.

"What are you talking about '_just busted_'," Elena demanded, stepping towards Stefan. This day seemed to be getting worse. "We got a brand new one only a few weeks ago."

Elena crossed her arms. "First, my diary and now the fan belt." She muttered to herself angrily.

"Bo might have one." The redneck suggested. "Runs a station up in Ambrose."

"Where's that?" asked Stefan, confused.

"Fifteen miles up the road."

Klaus sighed and turned to Stefan, "Look, mate. The game starts tonight. We'll get one in Chicago and return tomorrow to replace it."

Stefan shook his head. "I'm not sure. I don't like the idea of leaving my car here during the night all by itself. What if the guy from last night comes and strips it or something? No way. I'm not taking any chances."

"We can't just leave you here by yourself, especially at night, Stefan." Caroline jumped into the conversation.

"You'll miss the game, mate." Klaus added.

"That's not why I came." Stefan said, glancing at his girlfriend Elena.

Caroline continued to help Elena clean up. "Just so you know, I'm not feeling you up or anything. I'm only wiping the shit off your ass, okay?"

"I really don't care, just please help me." Elena allowed Caroline to wipe the muck from her ass; she glared at Damon who looked suggestively at the both of them. In response, Elena flashed her middle finger. Damon responded with a pouty expression.

"Don't worry about me, man. You guys just go to the game tonight. Kickoff's in a couple of hours. I don't care. I'm fine with staying overnight alone." Stefan said, his emerald eyes fatigued.

"Okay, man. Whatever you say. We probably won't be back until tomorrow night due to all the traffic we're gonna have to face." Klaus responded.

"It's fine." Stefan shrugged. "Before you get back, make sure to pick up a fan belt for me on the way. Make sure it's a fifteen inch."

"No problem." Klaus shook hands with Stefan.

"I can give you a lift." The redneck suggested, out of the blue. Elena paused what she was doing and glanced between Stefan and the strange unknown man. She desperately looked at her boyfriend, silently pleading with him not to agree. Who knows what this man's true intentions were?

"Seriously?" asked Stefan disbelievingly. Elena scowled when she heard him say this. She felt like she was watching a horror movie; one who would yell at the person on screen when they did something stupid into getting themselves killed.

"If you like." The creepy man grinned at him. Elena stared at Stefan. _Don't you dare_, she mentally screamed. _Stefan, you idiot, don't you dare!_

"Um, yeah, sure. That would be great." He nodded towards the man in a polite manner. Elena mentally slapped her forehead in exasperation. She knew Stefan was too nice of a person to turn down such an offer.

"Stefan, can I talk to you for sec?" asked Elena. She gestured for them to walk to a corner for privacy. His emerald eyes pierced hers, noticing her anxious glazed look.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't trust that man at all, Stefan." She said in hushed tones. She glanced out the corner of her eye and noticed the man staring at her like a hawk. Elena felt like a seal and he was the shark. This man was already giving her the creeps.

"Elena, don't worry about me. Okay?" Stefan assured. Always the assuring one. "I'll be fine. You do realize I can take care of myself, unlike others." Elena didn't miss the hint that he was obviously talking about his older brother.

Elena released a troubled sigh and stared at Stefan. The sunlight gave him alabaster skin a healthier glow, making his copper hair shine, and his green eyes radiant as healthy grass. _Why is he so pretty? _

For a strong moment, Elena glanced between her boyfriend and the weird redneck – he was still waiting for them. Her brown eyes observed the man with a disgusted expression twisted on her features. His image was absolutely horrid. The man was dressed in raggedy clothes – dirty jeans that's been stained with dirt and blood throughout the years, a checkered button-up shirt that he left open exposing his greasy used-to-be white undershirt. He looked like a hillbilly serial killer.

Then Elena wanted to slap herself and guilt slightly plagued her. She was stereotyping a man she didn't even know. _Never judge a book by its cover_, an inner voice reminded her irritably.

She felt kind of bad for judging this unknown man, but at the same time, she was worried about Stefan wandering off alone.

An idea struck her, but she didn't like it whatsoever.

"I'll go with you." She said without blinking.

Stefan stared at her, not expecting this. He predicted she would go to the game with the others; he realized that he actually wanted her to go to the game. He wouldn't want her to stick around with him while their other friends were having a good time – he wanted Elena to have a good time as well.

"Elena, I already told you. It's fine. I'm fine. Just go – have fun. I'll be all right. Just make sure Klaus doesn't mistake the size for the fan belt."

"No, Stefan." Elena shook her head. "I've already decided. I'm going with you. Besides – I need a break from _him_." Stefan didn't need her to elaborate on who she was talking about. "I'm sticking with you, rather you like it or not."

"Now, I know why I kept you around all these years." The side of Stefan's mouth quirked up.

"Shut up." She teased playfully before announcing to the rest, "Sorry guys, I'm ditching you all."

"What?" Caroline's eyes widened the size of dinner plates. She marched to her brunette friend and grasped her by the shoulders. "No, Elena. I'm not letting you out of my sight. Do you not see how freaking _creepy_ that guy is?" she whispered loud enough for Elena to hear.

"Yes, I realize, Care. And that's why I'm going with Stefan. I can't leave him alone out here like this."

"He's a big boy." The blonde argued. "He can take care of himself."

"It's already been decided, Care. I'll be fine. Stefan will be with me, it's okay. I'll see you tomorrow for sure."

Caroline sighed. She didn't feel comfortable leaving her two friends alone out here. "I'd call you but there's no reception out here. How the hell are we supposed to get a hold of you?"

"Well, if there's a town up here, there's bound to be a phone machine somewhere. After Stefan and I grab whatever he needs, we'll head on back down here, camp out, and wait for you to get back. Or Stefan can attach the fan belt immediately and we can drive up there and meet you halfway or something. We'll figure it out."

"Okay." Caroline said reluctantly. She wrapped her arms around Elena, her chin resting on her shoulder. "You be careful."

"Don't start a fight up in Chicago." Elena teased lightly.

Caroline laughed. "We'll see."

Afterwards, the group hesitantly said their goodbyes to Stefan and Elena. The couple left with the strange man.

Elena had to plug her nose when she hopped into the disgusting truck. It smelled of death, making the girl's stomach churn and twist in knots. Stefan jumped in and sat beside her, attempting to remain polite and not piss the redneck off.

Not paying attention to the couple's reactions to the inside of his unkempt vehicle, the redneck took the driver's side, closing the door loudly to make sure it stayed shut.

Elena closed her eyes and wished she wasn't sitting in the middle – she could easily smell the filth radiating from the man beside her.

Awkward silence ensued during the ride as the man started the truck and began to drive away from the pit. Soon, they were on the road. Elena scooched closer to Stefan every time the strange man would glance at her. His predator smile sent chills down her spine – she absently noticed his teeth were decayed. She wondered how often this man brushed his teeth. Probably, hardly ever.

The stench was starting to give the teenage girl a headache.

"Stefan, can you roll the window down?" she asked.

He nodded and reached to comply with her request, but quickly realized there was no lever to roll down the window. In fact, there was no lever to open the door. Elena's heart sped up. Why had Stefan agreed to let this man give them a ride?

The guy apologized. "Sorry, the truck's seen better days."

Elena nodded and shifted uncomfortably, wanting more than anything to just get out of the truck and bolt.

"Can you roll your window down then?" asked Stefan respectfully. The man complied and turned down the window, warm summer air blasting through. Elena's tense shoulders sagged with relief. That smell was seriously giving her a headache.

"Sorry, I get used to the smell." The man supplied, glancing at the timid couple.

"You must be around it 24/7." Elena guessed. "I don't think I could ever get used to this. Nor would I want to get used to it."

"You'd be surprised what you can get used to if you're around it long enough." The hick responded enthusiastically.

Elena nodded before asking anxiously, "Are we almost there?" This ride was taking way longer than she figured. She was starting to get extremely nervous. What if the guy was lying and there wasn't a town up the road? After all, he killed animals and dumped them in a pit for a living.

"Just up the road. Good ole Ambrose." The man hummed happily, oblivious to the uncomfortable couple.

Her brown eyes scanning around, they landed on the man's side. Her eyes widened when she noticed a large knife on the side of his belt. Her heart picking up once more, her breathing shallow – without thinking, she clutched her boyfriend's arm.

"You like knives?"

The man grinned and pulled it out, the large knife gleaming.

"Um… yeah… sure…" Elena didn't know what to say. She certainly didn't want to piss the man off. Elena knew a few things about knives, her father collected all types. She immediately recognized the blade. "That's a bowie." She stated, her fingernails digging into her boyfriend's sleeved arm.

"Right you are, Miss." He grinned at her with those filthy teeth. "It's a good knife." He flipped it in his hand. "It'll cut through anything." He stabbed the knife into the console, making Elena flinch.

Suddenly, the man slammed on the brakes, the truck reaching a screeching halt. Stefan grabbed Elena to stop her from flying through the windshield.

"What the hell was that?" Elena demanded, momentarily forgetting to be polite to the man. She closed her mouth and hoped she didn't piss off the man.

"What's going on, sir?" asked Stefan, confused as his emerald eyes scanned the area. He recognized the road all washed out. "You said there was a town up here."

"There is." The man nodded. "Just around that bend." He opened his door and stepped out, looking at the two from the outside. "I gotta flip my hubs into four wheel. You mind giving me a hand?"

"When's the last time you were here?" Stefan requested, starting to sound not too polite. Elena was close to smacking him.

"You don't believe me? I occasionally forget this end's washed out. That's all." The man grinned at them like a wolf.

"Here. I'll help you flip the hubs." Elena offered and made a move to get out before Stefan clutched her arm in an iron grip.

"There's no need, Elena. We'll walk the rest of the way. You've done enough."

"Stefan!" Elena stared at him as if he turned insane.

"Why would you wanna do that?" asked the hick, sounding upset.

"I apologize for him. Can you please just let us out? What he means to say is that we don't want to further be a nuisance." Elena said, trying to be polite as possible.

"Fine." Before he shut his door, he snatched the knife from the dashboard. Her heart plummeted down to her stomach when the man maneuvered around the vehicle to their side.

The couple flinched as the man opened their door but there was no knife in sight. Elena thanked the Lord.

"Well, get out, then." He demanded, harshly. Elena winced as they both slid out of the vehicle. The man continued talking, "I try to do something nice for someone…"

"It's not like that." Elena tried, looking at the hick. "We really appreciate it."

"Yeah. I can tell." The man scoffed.

Elena winced and Stefan apologized once more before they headed their way across the water binge, hopping over the rocks to get to the other side of the road. Elena glanced back and noticed the hillbilly was still staring at them.

"Just keep walking." Stefan softly ordered her.

Elena scoffed. "As if I was going to stop."

Both of them continued walking and as they neared around the bend, they caught the sight of a small town.

Stefan sighed. "Wow. I'm an asshole."

Elena chuckled and her eyes scanned through the town. From the looks of it, the town seemed abandoned. There was no single person in sight. There were a couple cars lined up the side of the stretched road and there were buildings around that reminded her of old western flicks. At the end of the long road, there was a church.

As they entered the town, they passed by an old billboard sign that advertised the main attraction of this small ghost town: _House of Wax_.

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Date Posted: 08/15/14

**A/N: This chapter is kind of filler, I'm sorry about that. Exciting stuff will definitely be happening next time ;) **

**Wow. Thank you so much for all the responses :D They truly like my day *grinning like a maniac* A special, special thank you to all my reviewers **_**Klaroline-lovegames, z0ey, M, Guest, klaroline4everlove, and jessnicole. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR AWESOME REVIEWS! **_**You guys and your reviews always make my day. No, seriously. I always love to interact with everyone and hear their insight. Also a special shoutout to everyone who alerted/favorited THANK YOU SO MUCH! Sorry, I can get carried away with capital letters way too easily *grins sheepishly* Heh. **

**Ugh. I'm so not too happy right now – school starts literally on Monday and I'm sooooo angry that summer is over. Why did it have to go by so fast? Whyyyy? Gah. I'm hoping school doesn't screw with future chapters. I'm always afraid of lacking updates, and usually when there are lack of updates, that means people typically lose interest of a story and forget everything that's happened. I hope that doesn't happen whatsoever. I'm only crossing my fingers to make sure I keep rolling with updates :D**

**Anyone wanna be a doll and write up a quick review? REVIEWS ARE LOVE! And they encourage me to update faster ;) **

**Thank you so much beauties :D**

**- Nina **


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Caroline Forbes nervously chewed on her manicured thumb nail as she sat in the passenger seat of her boyfriend's vehicle. While Klaus was driving, Damon and Jeremy were stuck in the back. Everyone was silent; the only noises was the radio turned down to a low volume, playing some pop song. She couldn't get Stefan and Elena out of her head. What if something bad happened to them? She didn't like the idea of leaving them behind. Splitting up was the worst decision they could think of.

"What's the matter, love?" inquired Klaus, softly. Noticing her troubled state, he gently held her hand, entwining their fingers together.

"I'm worried about them," answered Caroline, bothered. She was looking out the window, her blue eyes catching sight of trees and shrubs.

"Caroline. Quit being such a girl." Jeremy commented as he leaned lazily against the backseat, his head resting on the window as he watched the green scenery.

"Jer. I will crawl back there and rip your testicles off with my bare hands. Don't screw with me right now," warned Caroline in a deadly voice, her eyes still looking out the window.

"Scary," laughed Jeremy. He always liked to push the blonde girl's buttons. It was too funny. Caroline never knew this; but the younger Gilbert always had a little crush on her, thus his teasing ensued when he realized he would never get a chance to be with her. He never once advanced anything towards her though, due to her long-term relationship with Klaus Mikaelson. Jeremy had to keep in mind too that he had a relationship with Elena Gilbert's best friend, Bonnie Bennett.

"Don't test her, Jer. I truly believe that Caroline means what she says." Klaus smirked, his blue eyes glancing at the younger boy in the backseat. Turning forward, he addressed Caroline, "Come now, love. The lovebirds are perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. Stefan will always take a bullet for Elena."

"Yeah, like that would ever happen," snorted Damon. He knew for a fact that Stefan would never grow the balls to protect Elena from danger. Truthfully, he despised the fact that Elena was being left alone with an idiot like his younger brother. He only didn't say anything because he didn't want anyone to think of his true feelings for Elena Gilbert.

"Baby, you don't understand," sighed the blonde woman in the passenger seat. Her eyes flickered from the window and landed on her boyfriend; her grip on his hands intensified. "My gut is twisting into knots. I have such a bad feeling about all of this."

"Well, what do you want me to do right now, love? Turn around and completely miss the game? You know how hard I worked my ass off to earn those free tickets."

"I know." Caroline bit her lip before she forced herself to relax. "You're right. I'm overreacting. Elena better get a hold of a working phone in that town and call me ASAP or the dumbass is going to get a foot up her ass."

"Quoting Red Forman, are we?" smirked Klaus.

The only response he received was a grin from Caroline Forbes.

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Elena Gilbert's eyes scanned the small town – it appeared abandoned. There weren't people outside at all, even though there was occasional cars around. Passing a crusty building, she recognized battered posters for some beauty contest.

"Miss Ambrose," Stefan said, also noticing the crumpled posters. He smirked at Elena. "There's something we can sign you up for."

The brunette playfully punched his shoulder. "Shut up."

Stefan chuckled, "Wonder how many teeth you need to win that."

Elena chuckled at her boyfriend's funny comment – she wished they had more moments like this. Right now, she felt completely relaxed with Stefan. Ever since yesterday, things between the two were tense.

The two approached a gas station. While Stefan lingered outside, Elena advanced towards the entrance door and peeked her head inside. She scanned her dark eyes on the inside to see if anyone was inside. Much to her surprise, there wasn't anyone.

"That's weird." She mumbled before gently closing the door and walking back to Stefan who was busy staring at the sign advertising the surprisingly cheap gas prices. "There's no one inside."

"Huh." Stefan crossed his arms before he noticed a peculiar building in the distance. "I wonder if that's the House of Wax up that road."

"House of Wax?" asked Elena, the words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. The idea of wax freaked her out and she wasn't exactly sure why.

"There was a billboard advertisement. Let's go see if it's open," suggested Stefan as he started to walk in the direction of the attraction. Elena stopped him by grabbing his sleeve. He spun around to face her with a questionable look.

"What about the fan belt?" Elena reminded, trying to avoid the wax house. There was no way she was going to go into the House of Wax. Hell to the no.

Stefan shrugged, as if there was nothing to do. "There's no one at the gas station. I'm not just gonna walk right in without someone's permission and steal one." Elena fought the urge to roll her eyes. Out of all times, Stefan had to use his sense of morality.

"Fine, Stefan. Let's go ask around. How about we start by asking someone in the church?"

"Okay."

Together, the two walked straight down the road towards the church. Elena absently pulled out her iPhone to check the time. It was only 11:48 a.m. Did she have service? The teenage girl frowned when she realized she had no reception whatsoever. This town is literally located in the middle of nowhere. It was probably very hard for people to find – especially with the washed out road, separating the main road from the town.

Stefan and Elena were silent as they walked. Thoughts began to string to the brunette's mind. She was still wondering where in the hell her diary went. She remembered having it the night before – she wrote her last entry and after she heard those weird noises, she went outside and hid her journal in her suitcase just around the time Damon snuck up on her.

Soon, the pair were walking up the steps. Elena pushed open one of the massive doors of the church and walked in, Stefan following right behind her.

They froze.

Holy shit – they walked straight into a funeral.

The priest gave them an obvious look that they disrupted the service and a man that was kneeling in front of an open casket briefly turned around to look at the couple in surprise.

"Oh." Elena muttered, not expecting this. Her cheeks flamed and she smiled apologetically. "Sorry." She mouthed and she snuck back out along with Stefan, trying to remain quiet. Closing the door gently, she turned to Stefan with a wince and crossed her arms. "Wow. I feel like a bitch for walking in on a funeral." She sighed. "So, what the hell are we doing now? Do we just wait out here and wait for the services to end?"

"I feel kind of messed up waiting for a funeral to end," responded Stefan as he walked down the steps while Elena remained in front of the doors.

"Damn. Stefan, honestly. We should've just went to the game with the others. This whole splitting up idea of yours is getting us nowhere," snapped Elena, irritably.

"Excuse me for wanting to protect my car," retorted Stefan, starting to grow annoyed at his girlfriend for making everything sound like it's his fault.

"I can't believe how ignorant you're being right now! Have you ever thought for one second that maybe the fan belt didn't break on its own? What if the guy from last night came and did that? Huh? Has that ever crossed your mind, Stefan?"

Stefan shook his head disbelievingly. "Elena, mishaps like that happen all the time. Out of all things, tell me, why would the guy from last night come in the middle of the night and break just the fan belt? Huh? None of our stuff was stolen so it couldn't have been the asshole from last night."

"My diary was stolen last night." Elena confirmed, staring down at Stefan seriously.

"What are you talking about? You had it last night. I saw you writing stuff—"

The door behind the brunette teenager opened, making the arguing couple pause and turn around. Elena recognized the man who was kneeling in front of the casket. He looked to be in his mid-thirties with dark hair that was slicked back for the somber occasion and intense blue eyes.

"Hi." Stefan greeted as the man walked past Elena, stepping down the stairs. He didn't look at Stefan as he pulled out a lighter and cigarette. "Look, we're sorry about that. We shouldn't have walked in."

"No, you shouldn't have." The grieving man scowled. Elena winced at the man's tone – wow, she really felt like the world's biggest bitch at the moment. Might as well have that title tattooed on her forehead. Deciding that Stefan was going to get them nowhere, Elena stepped into the conversation, hoping to get on the man's good side.

"You're right, sir. We shouldn't have walked in, but I'm afraid we could really use some help. We're not from here and we're having car trouble." Elena explained, but much to her dismay, the man didn't even look in her direction. She resisted the desire to stomp her foot on the ground like a toddler not getting their way. They needed that fan belt! Why was this becoming a hassle? Elena continued, "We're looking for a guy named Bo, I believe? He works at the gas station."

"Found him." Bo took a drag of his cigarette, still not looking at the either of them.

"Really?" Stefan spoke up this time, eager. "Well, we need a fan belt—"

"A fan belt?" The man practically snarled. Elena winced at the man's tone.

"Yeah." Stefan answered, hesitantly.

"You walk in on a funeral for a fucking fan belt?" asked Bo, disbelievingly. Elena and Stefan didn't dare speak a word. "Right then. Let me just go dump the casket and I'll be right there." He finished unenthusiastically as he stomped out the cigarette and turned to walk back into the church.

"Sorry," whispered Elena as the man walked past her. She heard him scoff sarcastically. Once the door closed, she released a sigh. "Well, that went well."

"Painfully well," muttered Stefan.

"So, now what?" asked Elena as she walked down the steps and stood directly in front of Stefan.

"I don't know." He shrugged his shoulder. "I guess we can just go back to the—"

"Hey."

The couple spun around, shocked to see Bo coming out, looking less pissed off. He walked down over to them and looked down at Elena. He said in a gentler tone, "I'm sorry about that back there. Someone very special to me passed and I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"Oh. Don't apologize." Elena said, concern spilling out of her voice. "Really. It's totally understandable. My condolences to you and your family."

"Why thank ye kindly, miss." Bo smiled down at her which Elena returned. Stefan stared at them, obvious jealousy tinting his emerald eyes. "I reckon things should wrap up soon. If you want, I can meet you down at the station in about a half."

"Of course." Elena grinned. "That would be fantastic! Wouldn't it be, Stefan?" The only answer she received from Stefan was a look. As if she didn't see his expression, Elena continued in a chipper tone, "I mean, if that's okay with you, sir?"

"Please, call me Bo." He smiled charmingly, making the younger woman blush. "And that sounds perfect." He finished, looking between Elena and Stefan with a smile before turning and heading back to his funeral. When Elena turned around, her smile wiped off when she noticed the pissed-off expression on Stefan's face.

"What?"

Stefan scoffed before turning around and walking away. He shot behind his shoulder, "Looks like your fan club got bigger."

Disbelievingly, Elena followed after her boyfriend. "Are you kidding me, Stefan? Calm down. Okay. It's not a big deal. It's a good thing I'm here otherwise Bo probably would've left your ass on the street."

"Oh, so now you're referring to the creepy guy as '_Bo'_, huh?" Stefan sneered, angrily.

"Because that's his name." Elena answered, defensively. "I don't see what the big deal here is, Stefan."

"Then you're blind if you don't realize it. Every guy in Mystic Falls wants to be with you."

"Oh, that's bullshit, Stefan. You're overreacting. You're also one to talk; practically every girl in our hometown wants to sleep with you and you know it."

"I don't go around throwing myself at people."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't try to impress other girls with my charm, Elena."

"Are you implying that I haven't been faithful to you?"

"I don't know, have you, Elena?"

Elena Gilbert stopped walking and paused, her brown eyes glaring into his own. Her chest constricted, making it hard for her to breathe. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her boyfriend was calling her out on being unfaithful to him. Elena never cheated on Stefan. It wasn't in her nature to do so. The fact that Stefan accused her brought tears brimming to her eyes. She thought they were closer than that.

"How dare you accuse me of something disgusting and immoral?" whispered Elena, her throat becoming tighter with each word she spat. "Wow, Stefan. Wow. Great job, you really succeeded in surprising me during this trip. And not in a good way."

"Elena," Stefan started, his eyes flaring.

"Don't." She snarled.

"Are you and Damon screwing behind my back?" demanded Stefan. The question made Elena's jaw drop and before she could comprehend what she did next, a loud slap was heard. Stefan's head snapped to the side, a red print visible on his cheek.

"I can't believe you just asked me that." Elena muttered, disbelievingly. "All these years we've been together and happy and now all these suspicions raise towards me. I've been nothing but fucking faithful to your ass and this is how I get repaid? Pathetic."

"Elena—"

"Shut up." Was Elena's response and she turned to walk away. She did not want to be in his presence.

"What are you doing?" Stefan called out as Elena walked back towards the church.

"Walking away from you," Elena answered, venom dripping from her voice as she sat down on the steps in front of the church doors.

"Whatever. I'll meet you down at the station soon." Stefan responded as he started heading in the opposite direction. Elena didn't reply as she watched him walk in the direction of the House of Wax. She didn't really care at this point – Stefan had crossed the line.

Soon, the tears came streaming down.

.

.

.

"I hope they're okay." Caroline kept repeating. It's been a few hours and Klaus decided to stop at a random diner on the way to Chicago. Caroline and Klaus were sitting together at a table outside, sharing a plate of fries while Damon and Jeremy were fooling around inside. Caroline couldn't stop worrying about her two friends.

"God. I hope they're okay."

"Caroline."

She snapped her lost blue eyes and stared into his own. Klaus was staring at her with a slight smirk etched on his face.

"You're overthinking this, love." He whispered, caressing her hand. "It's time you relax."

Caroline sighed, running a hand through her blonde hair. "I know. I _know_. I just can't help it. I try to push it out of my head, but I can't help myself for being a worry wart."

Klaus openly gazed at his girlfriend; he couldn't help himself, but he noticed how very beautiful she looked in such a stressed state. Those pink lips would pout, making them plumper. There was a special twinkle to those eyes of hers. Caroline Forbes was just, in so many ways, gorgeous.

"I've been thinking," Klaus purposely changed the subject, attempting to ease her from worrying so much.

"That's never good," joked Caroline.

He mockingly glared at her before continuing, "I know we've been over this many times in the past, but there's so much to look forward to – especially for what comes for us in the future."

"Klaus," whispered Caroline, her cheeks turning pink.

"Listen to me, Caroline. And don't you dare interrupt. I know you like to make a habit of that." Caroline closed her mouth shut and patiently waited for Klaus to speak. "You're a lot of things, love. A few of them being annoying, controlling, manipulating—"

"Excuse you, Santa Klaus."

Klaus laughed. "Joking. Only kidding, love. I couldn't help myself."

Caroline snorted. "Of course you couldn't."

"Quit interrupting, Caroline. Or I may just have to sew your mouth shut."

"How gruesome," the blonde teased.

"Only for you," Klaus smirked before continuing. "Caroline, I know you don't want to settle down for marriage—"

"Klaus."

"I want us to move in together." He held his breath and waited for Caroline's response. Surprisingly, Klaus was very nervous to ask his girlfriend this.

Caroline stared at him, her blue eyes piercing into his own. Finally, she said in a quiet voice, "I appreciate your boldness, Klaus. Although, I'm not sure if I'm ready for something like that."

Klaus' shoulders slumped in defeat.

Caroline noticed the disappointment and continued, "This is asking a lot, Klaus. It's a really huge step, you know. To everything, especially our relationship."

Klaus nodded wordlessly.

"I'll think about it." Caroline smiled softly and rubbed his hand.

The English man forced out a smile and replied softly, "Take all the time you need, love."

.

.

.

Pathetically, Elena Gilbert sobbed on the steps in front of the local church. She was so hurt due to the fact Stefan questioned her faithfulness. He should've known better that Elena would never do something like that.

"Why did things go downhill so quickly?" she quietly questioned herself. Furiously, she wiped at her tears and took a few deep breaths. She was still wondering in her mind exactly what the hell happened. They were arguing over nonsense. Stefan was just overreacting and took it way too far this time.

From behind her, the door opened.

Elena quickly smeared the rest of her tears away. She hated when people saw her cry. Turning around so she could see who was behind her, she was pleasantly surprised to find Bo looking down at her with sympathy.

"I reckon something happened between you and your friend?" he asked quietly. Elena scoffed and stared forward, anger coursing through her veins.

"Yeah. Something very stupid and ridiculous." She growled. The older man stared down at her before leaning down and taking a seat beside her.

"Need a shoulder to cry on?" he joked. Elena chuckled, reaching a hand up to tuck her long hair behind her ears.

"I appreciate the concern." She replied, sarcastically. Her brown eyes gazed out to the small town. It was afternoon now, the sun shining down on the city. She noticed the sky was perfectly blue with clouds sailing lazily.

"Looks like we're both having the blues." Bo sighed, his eyes staring forward.

"I assume the funeral wrapped up?" questioned Elena, softly. She turned to look at the man sitting beside her and stared at him.

"Not yet." He wasn't looking at her, just gazing onward. "I decided I didn't want to keep you folks waiting and that's when I spotted you sitting on the steps, crying your eyes out."

Elena's cheeks burned in embarrassment. "Oh, God. I'm sorry you had to see that."

"No need to be sorry. Everybody has their moments." Bo turned his head and regarded her. Elena was momentarily startled to see how cerulean blue this man's eyes were. "So, where did your friend wander off to?"

Elena shrugged. "Don't know, don't care." She pushed herself from the steps and placed her hands on her hips. "Let's just quickly run down to the station. I don't want to keep you from your services any longer; I already feel guilty enough for walking in."

Bo waved her off as he stood up, towering over Elena in height. "Good idea. And it's no trouble. After all, it's not every day a funeral gets interrupted by a pretty girl like you."

Elena looked down from his sharp eyes, her cheeks flaming. "Thank you." She smiled shyly. As they started walking, she added, "I'm Elena, by the way."

"Pleasure to meet ya, Miss Elena. Welcome to Ambrose."

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Date Posted: 08/17/14

**A/N: Thank you so much to the wonderful reviews. I hope I responded to each of you, as for the Guest reviewers, I can't send you a personal message, but I want to say on here THANK YOU SO MUCH! So awesome! If any of you ever want to send me a PM and just chat, go ahead! I love interacting with my readers :)**

**Notice the That 70's Show reference I snuck in there at the beginning XD Can't get enough of that show! I swear, I'm watching an episode like every day on Netflix *shrugs* it's one of my favorites. Sorry not sorry :D**

**This is probably gonna be the last chapter for this weekend, because I have school on Monday *throws a tantrum like a toddler* Ughhhhh. That means that updates will be less frequent. Hopefully, the next chapter will be next weekend :D **

**Soooo…. What did you guys think? Like it? Hate it? **

**This chapter was supposed to have a different outcome but I have to say, I'm kind of satisfied with how this turned out. So, Klaus attempts to ask Caroline for them to move in together - I hope that part didn't come off as cheesy. Truth be told, I'm terrible at writing fluffy, realistic moments. I hope that Caroline's response was somewhat convincing, I mean, imagine how she would reply if he popped that certain question XD**

**And Stefan and Elena get into a fight. I bet all of you Delena fans are happily cheering in the background *grins* So…. In case you guys haven't noticed, that is officially the last time Stefan and Elena will see each… in person. Hahaha. Stupid, stupid Stefan… walking off alone all by himself towards the House of Wax. Poor fella. I'll miss him… not. Lol. He kinda came off as a jerk in this story, I didn't mean for that to happen but it kinda did happen. Don't get me wrong, I love Stefan on the show so much. I don't know why I'm treating his character so mean lol. I'm sorry guys! XD**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE! :D**

**Nina **


	8. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

Jeremy was busy humming the familiar tune of a Britney Spears song while Damon rolled his eyes at the kid.

"Can't get enough of Britney, huh?" asked Damon, a smirk etching on his face. Upon hearing that, Jeremy's face reddened; embarrassed that he was caught.

"Whatever, man. She's hot." Jer defended, weakly. From the passenger seat, Caroline giggled at the cute and hilarious thought of the younger Gilbert listening to a bubblegum pop sensation.

"Gilbert, I rarely say this to your face, but I think you have a right to know; I'm worried about your horrid taste in music, Jeremy." Klaus said, his ocean eyes glinting in amusement as he looked at the younger boy through the rearview mirror.

"Hey!" Caroline punched his shoulder. "Don't be mean. I love Britney; her songs are catchy and don't you dare try to argue against me on this one. I know you're a closet Britney Spears fan."

"Good luck with that one, love." Klaus smiled in her direction.

"So, how much longer do I have to sit here and hum a Britney song? Unless if you want me to change to Miley Cyrus—"

"NO!" Everyone shouted in unison.

"Forget I even asked," muttered Jer, turning his gaze to look out the window.

"Ugh." Caroline groaned as she checked out her phone. "Elena still hasn't called me back. I told her to call me as soon as she finds a phone that works."

"Try calling her then, Barbie." Damon suggested, sounding like a pompous asshole. Caroline briefly turned around in her seat and narrowed her eyes at the smug Salvatore. "Caroline, I know I'm gorgeous to look at, but you don't have to make it _that_ obvious."

Caroline immediately unbuckled her seatbelt, lightning speed, and attempted to jump back there and punch him, but Klaus was quicker as he easily stopped her by the shoulder and forced her to sit back down.

"Not in the Mercedes, love. Take it outside next time we pull over." Klaus warned, but there was a playful tone behind the warning.

"You hear that, Salvatore?" sneered Caroline as she reluctantly buckled herself up. "Your ass is mine the next stop."

"Can't wait." Damon smirked.

"Now, now, Salvatore." Klaus said with a roll of his eyes. "That's my girlfriend you're talking to. Learn to behave yourself."

"Anything for you, Klaus." The dark-haired man responded, sarcastically.

"Seriously though, guys, are we there yet?" asked Jeremy, sounding impatient.

"Jeremy, take a good look around you." Caroline advised, as if she were talking to a kindergartner.

"Okay," Jer answered.

"What do you see?"

"Trees and shit."

"_Ding! Ding! Ding_! We have a winner!" mocked Caroline before she turned in her seat to look directly at the younger boy and shout, "So, if we're surrounded by "trees and shit"… what the hell makes you think we're in Chicago?"

"You're right. I don't see any prostitutes on the road yet."

Everyone rolled their eyes at Jeremy's stupid comment.

"Elena, please call me back, your brother is annoying me!" Caroline whined, hoping they would get to Chicago quickly to spare the quirkiness of Elena's weird brother.

…

"So, tell me, where your folks headed?" questioned Bo as he and Elena casually walked down to the gas station. It was in the early afternoon so the sun was bright and the skies were blue and beautiful. Although, the temperature was extremely high, and it was a dry heat.

"To a football game in Chicago," answered Elena unenthusiastically, fanning herself with her hand as she tried to fight off the heat. It's a good thing she took off her sweater earlier – it was baking like an oven outside. _Well, its summer after all_, Elena silently reminded herself. "My friends scored free tickets so I tagged along."

"Chicago, huh?" responded the tall man. He shrugged out of his suit jacket since it was so hot outside, leaving him in his collar button-up shirt. He swung the jacket over his shoulder. "You kids got an awful long drive from here to Chicago."

"Really?" questioned the brunette; she wasn't aware of this. "I assumed it was only a few hours away."

"If you're lucky. Think about all the traffic and people that are headed in the same route as you to attend the big game all the way out in Chicago."

"That's true. I hope they make it in time. Kickoffs start pretty soon."

"These friends of yours already left without you?" asked Bo as he stared down at the petite girl in confusion. "Pardon me for saying this darlin', but that's a bit fucked up."

"It's not like that." Elena explained as she pushed her damp hair out of her sweaty face. "Originally, Stefan wanted to stay behind and watch his car, he didn't want to leave it alone in the middle of nowhere. So, I decided to stay behind with him so he wasn't alone. Everyone was against the idea but we didn't want them to miss the game. I know that they were looking forward to it and I didn't want to spoil the fun."

"Loyal friend you are, miss. I admire that; you caring about your folks." Bo smiled sweetly, looking down at Elena.

"I try." Her cheeks blossomed red. "To me, it's all about being selfless and putting others before yourself, you know?" As they walked together, the eighteen year-old girl recognized a pet store and gasped excitedly. "Oh! How cool! You have a pet store!"

Like a little kid on Christmas morning, Elena ran over to the window of the building and cooed in an awe voice as she saw puppies sleeping together in a bundle. Chuckling in amusement, Bo casually trailed after the excited teenager and stood behind her as she looked at the pit-bull puppies.

"Oh my God! Their so cute!" Elena cupped her face with her hands and smiled down at them. "I'd get one but then again, I don't think Stefan would appreciate it if I brought a puppy into his precious car."

"Maybe another time, if you ever decide to roll into town again." He smiled as they walked away from the pet shop. They were nearing the station at this point.

"Aw, but then they would no longer be puppies." Elena playfully pouted.

"Not to worry, darlin', new batches always arrive during the spring and summer especially." Bo said, opening the door for Elena as they went inside the station. Elena let out a sigh of relief as they were blasted with cool air. "Feels much better in here than it does out there."

"Thank God for air conditioners." She smiled as her eyes peered around the station. It was an ordinary look for a mechanic and gas station. Nothing special. Elena leaned against the counter as Bo threw his jacket in the corner.

"That you are right, Miss Elena." Bo said as he ran a hand through his short brown hair; it was starting to slightly curl from the ferocious heat. "Shouldn't your friend be here by now?"

"Doesn't matter." Elena shrugged carelessly. She was still pissed at Stefan for what he said to her earlier. "He can go throw himself off a cliff for all I care."

"Ouch." The man looked at her amused. "You two really got into a bad one, didn't you?"

"I would be lying if I said no." She admitted, her eyes casting downward. She was getting embarrassed, talking about her problems to some cute guy she just met. But he was treating her with more respect than her own boyfriend did. "It's okay. He's probably busy off sulking somewhere. That's typical Stefan for you; always needing time for himself… never any time for his own girlfriend…" Elena mumbled quietly, more to herself, but Bo heard her.

"Wow. No offense or anything, but what an ass. Ignoring his own girl, I find that extremely disrespectful. This generation truly lost the real meaning of romance. There are even music that disrespect women. One shouldn't treat his woman like a piece of meat. Call me old-fashioned, but you should always a fellow should always treat his gal like a princess."

Elena's thoughts immediately flickered to Klaus and Caroline; the English man always treated her blonde friend like a princess. She frowned – no wonder she secretly despised her relationship with Stefan. Elena never realized this before – she had been lying to herself this entire time, even to her diary, claiming that her relationship is _perfect_. Now that she thought about it, everything with her relationship was anything but perfect.

"Perhaps give her love songs, with true meaning," Bo continued, unaware of Elena's deep thinking. He stood a few feet away from her and leaned against the opposite side of the counter, his blue eyes soft. "To respect the woman you love should be a priority."

"Yeah…" Elena stared at him curiously, slightly taken back from his point of view on relationships. "You're absolutely right; it should be a priority." She said softly as she lingered her eyes on him a little longer than necessary.

He slightly smiled charmingly before breaking eye contact. Elena was shocked to find herself disappointed. He abruptly changed the subject, "So, since we're here; a fan belt you say? Coming right up. Please follow me, Elena."

Elena nodded and obediently trailed behind him.

…

"I am going to slowly murder this bitch next time I see her." Caroline practically growled as she stared down at her phone for the past hour. "What the hell is she doing? This is taking way too long for her to call me back. One simple phone call, Elena, that's all it takes."

"Perhaps, she and Stefan are spending alone time together, love. Ever thought about that?" Klaus suggested, slyly.

"God, stop saying stuff like that." Jer complained. "She's my sister for crying out loud. I don't need to hear this shit."

"Get in line." Damon muttered, clenching his fists. He hated it whenever someone brought up the mention of his inexperienced brother and the girl of his dreams.

"That's it!" Caroline snapped. "I'm calling her."

"Caroline…" Klaus groaned. His girlfriend seriously needed to calm down.

In return, Caroline narrowed her eyes at her boyfriend as she looked for Elena's number and pressed the send key. She pressed the phone to her ear and was disappointed to hear the voicemail immediately.

"Dammit." She cursed, resisting the urge to smash her phone in the windshield. "Went straight to voicemail. What's the point of cell phones if you can't reach someone? Shouldn't there be a universal phone line or something? A satellite located even in places like the middle of ass-fucking nowhere! This no reception thing is pissing me off."

"Or maybe she turned off her phone to avoid interruptions or in my words, cockblocks." Klaus responded, innocently.

"Can you for once not act like a creepy perv?" Caroline said, irritably. "I'm seriously worried about them. I hope they're okay." She ended on a softer note as she reluctantly put her cell phone away and focused on the long stretch of road ahead of them.

…

"So, you're a mechanic?" asked Elena as she observed the auto garage. Various auto tools littered the garage, lining up against walls. Her footsteps echoed on the concrete flooring as Bo closed the red garage door, blocking out the dry heat.

"That's right, darlin'," replied Bo smoothly as he stepped past the brunette and towards to where the fan belts were located. "Okaaay. Fan belts. Here we are. You know which size you're looking for, sweetheart?" he turned back to look at her for answers and Elena blushed when he called her _that_.

Stefan never called her that. Elena angrily remembered when they first left for the trip, how she tried to kiss Stefan passionately to piss off Damon. He rejected both her embrace and her attempt to call him a cute name.

She smiled in a shy manner and said, "We need a fifteen inch."

"Gotcha." He nodded and searched for the correct one.

While he was looking away, Elena accidentally checked him out completely; he was over six feet tall, way taller than Stefan. She had to admit he was pretty handsome for an older guy. Pretty blue eyes, an attractive smile, a slight southern drawl.

"Damn." Bo muttered and turned to look at her with an apologetic expression. "That's odd, there's no sign of a fifteen inch here."

Elena snapped out of her thoughts and blushed. It took her a fair moment to register what he said.

"Oh… _oh_." She repeated once she understood. "You don't have a fifteen inch?"

"Afraid not, miss." He said, his eyes looking away. "Well, shit. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, I might have spares at the house. Here, why don't you wait here while I go retrieve them?"

"I'll go with you. Besides, I've got nothing better to do anyways."

"If you want. In that case, brace yourself, darlin'. The heat's a bitch here."

"I'll survive." Elena good-humoredly said, eliciting a playful smile from Bo.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart."

…

"So bored." Jer complained inside the car for the thousandth time. "So bored." He was basically chanting at this point.

"Shut up, Jer." Caroline groaned as she attempted to dial Elena for the past half hour but failed each time sadly.

"You heard Barbie, shithead. Shut up." Damon punched the teen's shoulder, resulting an _ouch_ response from Jer.

"Easy with the arm, man." Jeremy clutched his aching arm, while Damon only rolled his eyes at the younger boy. "So, seriously, are we almost there?"

"Give it a few more hours, Gilbert." Klaus responded, annoyed.

"Oh my God, this is the freaking twentieth time I called her! What the hell is up? She and Stefan should've gotten that fan belt thingy or whatever and be on the road where there's service by now. What, are they walking around that town like it's fucking Disneyland or something?" Caroline vented, angrily. "I mean, seriously. It's been a couple hours." Then more softly, Caroline said, "I'm serious when I say; her ass is grass when we see each other tomorrow. Mark my words, Elena Gilbert, you'll see to it that you never disappoint the one and only Caroline Forbes."

.

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Date Posted: 08/18/14

**A/N: I know, I know, you guys are probably thinking, "Wow! A quick update! How did you do that?" Well, my wonderful readers, I don't really have any homework, so I decided to take the time to write you guys up a chapter since ya'll are so amazing and awesome to talk to! Shoutout to all my awesome readers and reviewers. I enjoy talking to you guys individually as well; it's fun to make new friends on here!**

**So, as you all know, at least I hope lol, my first day of school was today and it was surprisingly good. I actually enjoyed, let's just see what the rest of the year has in store for me ;)**

**I think this is more of a filler chapter, I'm really sorry about that, I was kind of in a hurry writing this, so it probably turned out sloppy. Not much happened, but it all slowly builds up, I don't want the writing to be rushed and forced, ya know what I mean?**

**Okaaay then... So... Caroline gets extremely worried about Stefan and Elena... Stefan wasn't in this chapter at all, but he was mentioned several times... Elena and Bo talking and getting comfortable with each other... Not much really happened at all actually, I hope that doesn't bother you guys. I'm really sorry about the lack of action... That comes later XD**

**Thank you so much and I wish you all fabulous days! School for me tomorrow... yay *that was sarcastic btw lol***

**- Nina **


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

"So, where'd you say your friend headed off to?" asked Bo, in a conversational manner as Elena and he walked up to his house located on the outskirts of town.

"Actually not sure." Elena answered, wiping her sweaty forehead. "It looked like from where I was standing, he was going in the direction of that creepy-looking wax house or whatever."

"Ah, the House of Wax." Bo corrected, unlinking the cuffs to his shirt and pulling up the sleeves to his elbows since it was a very warm temperature outside.

"Yeah." Elena nodded in agreement. "The House of Wax."

"Been inside yet?"

"Nope and I don't plan on it."

"Why not?" he teased playfully. "Too scared?"

"Not a big fan of wax." She admitted. "It creeps me out."

"I don't blame ya. If you're around it long enough like me, you'll learn to get used to it." Bo said, his blue eyes occasionally glancing down at the petite girl.

Elena briefly reminisced about the hillbilly she and Stefan hitched a ride with a few hours ago. When Elena asked him to roll a window down due to the horrid smell, the hillbilly told her, _"You'd be surprised what you can get used to if you're around it long enough." _

"And here we are."

"Huh?" asked Elena, distracted from her thoughts. The older man smirked in amusement at the brunette before gesturing towards his home.

"We're here, in case you were wondering."

"Oh." She muttered, embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

"No harm." Bo shrugged.

Elena's chocolate eyes scanned the two-story house; the exterior appeared incredibly old and the paint had faded throughout the years. When they were walking up the gravelly pathway to his house, she noticed a truck parked in front. Everyone in this town seemed to own trucks.

"You live here?" asked Elena, curiously.

"Yes, ma'am." Bo answered with an enthusiastic smile.

"Lovely home." She complimented.

Bo turned to Elena with a sarcastic grin. "It's okay, Elena. You don't have to lie to me. I'm well aware the house looks shitty and definitely needs some work done. But thank ya for the compliment anyway."

"No, really." She shook her head. "It's certainly old, but there's a strange charm to it that I'm liking. Definitely looks very old, but it can be fixed up properly if you really step up to it."

Bo chuckled as they walked up the concrete steps to his porch. "Fixing means money; money I don't necessarily have."

"Oh, I didn't mean—"

"I know what you meant." He smiled warmly. Elena visibly calmed down. She didn't want to upset the man, he's already doing so much for her. "Again, no harm." Bo added, reassuring her.

"Thank you." Elena acknowledged sincerely.

"Anytime, ma'am." He stepped up to his front door and reached for a pair of keys in his pocket, unlocking it. "Would you like to come inside or would you prefer to wait outside in the nasty heat?"

"Well, since you put it that way," Elena laughed before nodding. "I'll come inside – if that's okay with you."

"I _did_ invite you in, did I not, Elena?"

"I guess you did." Elena smiled. "And I'm accepting."

"Great." He returned the smile.

For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other. Crimson colored her cheeks as he openly gazed down at her, as if she was a book that he was trying to unfold, page by page. His eyes are so blue, she thought momentarily.

"Elena!"

Eye contact was broken between Bo and Elena, as they turned to the new voice.

"Stefan!" Elena said in surprise. She wasn't expecting him to get back so soon. She figured he would cool off for a few hours and then return.

The young man walked up the gravelly path, his green eyes intimidating. Elena briefly wondered if he saw the long eye contact between her and this man, she seriously hope he didn't. She didn't need more drama from him.

"Hey there," Stefan greeted, hesitantly, staring between the two of them.

"Hey…" Elena responded, equally as hesitant. The silence grew incredibly awkward as Stefan stared the two down as if they something wrong.

"Hope you don't mind, man. But we didn't have the right size at my station so Miss Elena here is making sure we have the correct size for your ride. Fifteen inch, am I right?" Bo spoke so easily and casually.

Stefan nodded but there was evident suspicion in his emerald eyes. "You keep fan belts at your house?"

"If I'm not at the station, I get them delivered here." Bo explained. "But if you want to hold on to a sixteen inch and try to make it work, that's fine by me."

"No, no." Elena shook her head, cutting into the conversation, making the two men look at her. "We want the fifteen inch. And we're already here, so let's just get this over with."

Bo nodded towards her before turning to Stefan. "What say you, man?"

Stefan shrugged. "Okay. Sounds like a deal to me."

"Great. Come on in, you two." Bo opened the front door all the way and gestured for the couple to come inside. "Don't worry, the house doesn't bite." He quickly winked in Elena's direction. She smiled softly in his direction before stepping inside, Stefan trailing after her. Bo walked in behind them, shutting the door.

Cool air blasted from the AC.

"Oh, thank God, I was dying outside." Elena commented, pushing her moist hair back.

"Don't be so dramatic; it's not _that _hot outside. It's only 103 degrees. No big deal." Bo shrugged casually, trying to hide his laugh at the horrified look on the girl's face.

"Only 103 degrees? You're insane, Bo." She laughed, disbelievingly.

"Once again, if you live here long enough, you get used to it." He grinned at her.

"So, about that fan belt." Stefan interrupted rudely, not appreciating the fact that Elena was casually conversing with this random man who seemed to take a liking to her.

"Stefan!" Elena warned.

"No, Elena." Stefan said without taking his narrowed eyes off the other man. "I came here for one thing only and I need it now."

"Of course." Bo said, not affected by Stefan's bitter attitude. "I understand. Apologies to you, my friend. Allow me a few minutes to change out of this depressing funeral attire and I'll be back with you shortly to retrieve what you need most."

"Thank you." But Stefan's tone didn't sound acknowledging at all.

"No problem." He nodded to the younger man before turning away.

"Actually," Stefan spoke up, catching Bo's attention. "Hope you don't mind but I need to use your restroom."

"Don't mind at all. Follow me, it's right upstairs."

"Be right back." Stefan told Elena before following after Bo.

As the two men began to walk up the staircase, Bo called down to Elena, "Oh, and if you need something to drink, eat, whatever. Help yourself, there's plenty stuff in the fridge and cabinets, darlin'."

Stefan resisted the urge to punch the man.

Elena smiled and thanked him before the two men disappeared up the stairs. She released a sigh before looking around her surroundings. The inside of his house was cluttered with papers. Everything inside was squished together.

She began to walk around and scan over some of the stuff. Lots of newspaper clippings from early 70s, 80s, 90s. Early decades. She noticed a few clippings mentioned the name _Trudy Sinclair. _She wondered who she was.

Growing more curious, Elena picked through the papers and noticed the House of Wax museum plastered over some clippings.

Elena jumped as she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. A frown knitted her features as she pulled out her phone. Her heart jumped in glee when she realized she had very little reception standing in this house.

But the person who was calling her… Oh-oh.

"Caroline." Elena stated, wincing.

"Elena Gilbert!" the blonde shouted on the other line. Elena grinded her teeth and waited calmly for Caroline to finish her ranting. "Do you have any freaking idea of how worried I've been over you guys? Like, what the hell? I've called you like a thousand times!"

"I'm sorry, Caroline." Elena apologized, still peering down at the newspapers. "Things have been happening here, that's all. I finally just entered a house where I have reception."

"A house? Whose house are you at?"

"Some guy named Bo; he works at the local gas station."

"Ooh. Is he cute?"

Elena's cheeks reddened. "Caroline Forbes!"

"Whaaat? I'm serious. You're always saying you need a break from Stefan…"

"I'm not gonna cheat on him, Care." Elena rolled her brown eyes. "And if you absolutely _must_ know, I admit, he's kinda cute."

"Oh, so he's definitely a hottie then?"

"I said he was _cute_, Caroline."

"Elena Gilbert, honey, I've known you all my life and every time you say a guy is _cute_, he turns out to be deliciously _gorgeous_."

"I am _so_ not having this conversation with you, Caroline."

"Loosen up, Lena." She laughed. "So, what's up? Did you guys find that fan belt thing or whatever?"

"Yeah. Business is being taken care of at the moment. I don't know what the plan is after this but I don't know, maybe Stefan and I will crash in a motel here or something. This town is actually really nice."

"Ugh. I hate towns, especially _small_ towns."

"You hate a lot of things, Care."

"That's true. Okay, we're literally at the game now. So, we're probably gonna be here for a long-ass time. Did you guys still want to tag along or…?"

"I don't know… I'm not in the mood for a loud, crowded football game and I don't think Stefan is either. I think we should probably keep to ourselves and try to work things out. Because I don't want to be on Stefan's bad side forever, you know?"

Elena checked behind her to make sure that her boyfriend didn't here that, or any of the conversation particularly.

"Well, we can always just meet you guys back out there once the game is over. We'll probably spend a night in Chicago and wake up early to go meet up with you guys, wherever the hell you are."

"Okay, I don't have much service here, but when I get the chance, I'll call you. If not, then just meet us in the town of Ambrose. You should be able to find it on the GPS."

"Cool. Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine, Caroline. Quit worrying."

"That's what the boys keep telling me." Caroline said in a dry tone of voice.

"Then maybe you should listen to them." Elena playfully said, smiling. "I'll talk to you soon, Caroline. Seriously, no worries. Everything is fine. I'll see you sometime tomorrow."

"Be safe."

"Will do. Bye."

"Bye." Caroline finished on the other line before Elena hung up her phone and slid it back in her pocket.

"Another friend of yours?"

Elena jumped in surprise and turned around to see Bo, finishing walking down the finals steps of the staircase. He changed out of his suit and into his work attire and a cap.

"Y-yeah." She stuttered. When she noticed him looking down at her hand, she still had the clippings. "I'm sorry, this isn't what it looks like. Well, maybe. Um… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"Don't sweat it." She relaxed when he presented a warm smile. He continued while heading towards his kitchen, "I assume you're thirsty?"

Elena placed the articles back where she found then and followed him into the nice, spacious kitchen. "Sure, if that's okay."

"How many times must I remind you, sweetheart? If I offer you something, quit asking me if it's okay. Because I assure you, miss, _it's okay_." He said, chuckling at her embarrassment before opening his fridge. "How about a bottle of water?" he offered, reaching into the fridge and pulling out an unopened bottle.

A smile full of gratitude, Elena thanked him before gently taking the bottle and unscrewing the cap before taking greedy gulps of the cold water as Bo watched her amused. She didn't realize from before that she was dehydrated.

"Careful there. Don't want the water to go down the wrong pipe." Bo joked, grabbing a bottle for himself and perching himself on the counter by the fridge.

"I'm an adult, thank you very much. I can take care of myself." Elena retorted with confidence that burst out of nowhere.

Bo chuckled, amused by the girl. He opened the bottle and took gulped down a few sips before asking curiously, "Really now? No offence, darlin', but you don't look a day over sixteen."

"Hey!" Without thinking about it, she smacked his arm in a playful manner, noting to herself how firm it felt under her weak touch. He regarded the action with enquiring eyes and she wished that she hadn't done that. As an attempt to wave the action off, Elena continued, "Hate to break it to you, but I'm actually eighteen, almost nineteen."

Bo nodded, appearing lost in deep thought before absently sliding off the counter and walking past the eighteen year-old girl, into the living room. Elena furrowed her eyebrows in slight confusion, wondering if she said or did something to upset him.

With hesitant steps, she entered the room and looked at some of the frames on the wall. The man had his back to her, he was staring outside through the dark, thick curtain.

"How long have you known him?"

The question caught her off-guard. _Who was he referring to? _

Elena spun around to see that Bo was still looking outside, still not looking at her.

"Who?"

"Your boyfriend."

Finally, he turned around and regarded her in serious silence, his ice eyes piercing.

She fixed her eyes on him as well – starting to sense something different. The way he was looking at her now; it reminded her of when the redneck earlier was _leering_ in her direction. Her body tensed, not liking where this was going.

Despite her sudden anxiousness, she decided to answer anyway, "Oh, a few years."

One of Elena's hands clutched the wooden table behind her. There was something different in his eyes.

But she didn't like it so far.

Not _one_ bit.

"Right." Bo said, nodding. His eyes never detached.

She felt naked under his scrutiny.

Elena shifted uneasily, very closely watching his every step and move.

Achingly slowly, he started to advance a step towards her.

Elena clutched the table behind her in a tougher grip – trying to anticipate the next move.

"You're still so young." Bo commented, almost softly as he stopped and inspected a vase of decayed roses.

A frown knitted her olive complexion as the man caressed the dead petals in a seductive manner.

"So young, fresh, and supple." He slid one of the long stems from the vase, his thumbs stroking the thorns. "Much like these roses before they withered away." His eyes slowly peered up from the rose and into Elena's chocolate orbs.

"Bo…" Elena warned, growing more anxious.

"That _boyfriend_ of yours…" Bo spat as if it left a horrid taste in his mouth.

"Stefan…" She corrected hotly, defense pouring out.

"He can't give you what I can give you…" He whispered, staring her down, silently daring her to do something.

Elena stood her ground, even though she was incredibly terrified on the inside.

"Didn't you say you were going to get the fan belt?" she asked, afraid to know the answer.

A grin that heavily reminded her of the Cheshire cat, Bo shrugged carelessly before saying truthfully, "I lied."

There it was.

Her hands slicked with sweat and her insides twisted horribly.

"You lied." Elena repeated, the words tasting foreign in her mouth.

"Afraid so, sweetheart." He was still caressing the dead rose in his hands, regarding her with a sick deadly expression.

They both stared at each other, time seemed to have frozen.

Thinking quickly, Elena reached behind her, and with quick reflexes she didn't even know she possessed, she chucked a glass item at Bo as hard as she could.

Blocking the glass with his hand, a shard managed to slash him in the cheek and he released a nasty curse.

Elena used this opportunity to run into the opposite direction and into another room with a huge pool table located in the center. Her heart thundering, the brunette deftly grabbed a poker iron from the fireplace to protect herself.

All of a sudden…

Every light inside the house was shut off.

Elena was surrounded by darkness.

"Stefan!" she cried out desperately.

Guilt plagued her as she nearly forgot all about him. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she protectively held the iron in front of her, ready to strike if necessary.

Tears of shame rolled down her cheeks.

The entire time…

Bo was a fraud and Elena was too stupid to realize it.

"Stefan!" she called out again.

From upstairs, she heard a tumble, as if somebody fell down in a harsh manner.

"Stefan!"

She had to get to him before Bo did something. Blindly running in the darkness, Elena crashed into several things, trying to find her way to the staircase.

Feeling the banister, Elena sprinted up the steps, smashing into walls, attempting to find her boyfriend before it was too late.

"Stefan!" She felt the frame of a door. She tried to open it but it was locked. She could hear struggling from the inside. "Stefan! Leave him alone, you son of a bitch!" She screamed, going crazy as she smashed the iron into the door several times.

"Elena!" Stefan's panicked voice sounded from the other side.

Sobs tore out of Elena's chest as she pounded the door, trying to open it. "Stefan! Stefan! No! Please, don't hurt him!"

More noises of struggling happened on the other side of the door and Elena continued to release harsh sobs as she pounded uselessly on the door.

Finally, the room inside grew silent.

Deadly silent.

"No… no… no…" She repeated softly, her fists clenching angrily as she smashed the door, bruises already forming. "Stefan! Oh God! You bastard! You fucking bastard! No! No!"

Before she could comprehend what happened next, the lights suddenly snapped back on, momentarily blinding her vision.

As her clarity resolved, a force knocked himself into her.

She was caught off-guard completely, in the process, also losing her weapon. It clattered down the stairs somewhere.

Her head knocked harshly against the wooden floor.

"You're making this more difficult than it needs to be."

She recognized the voice and looked up into the man's eyes – those eyes that deceived and played her for a fool.

"Why?" She pathetically whispered, her face red and swollen from tears.

Bo chuckled sinisterly and straddled her waist, using his weight to pin the woman down.

A surge of anger built up inside and with all her strength, Elena reached up with her hand and smacked him as hard as she could on the cheek.

Bo wasn't expecting this – he was expecting her to pathetically give up. The previous victims he encountered _always_ gave up.

This was unexpected.

Not done, Elena used his shocked moment to reach her knee up and harshly connect with his groin.

A groan of obvious pain left him and Elena used the final opportunity to punch him not-too-gently in the jaw.

That force was enough to knock him off her.

Scrambling up to her feet, Elena was prepared to make a run for it before his hand caught her ankle, resulting her falling down the stairs.

Every portion of Elena's body was on fire as she finally ended down at the bottom of the stairs. She was starting to feel extremely dizzy and weak. Lifting her head up, she saw Bo starting to get up from upstairs.

Quickly getting up, ignoring the horrible pain, Elena sprinted to the front door. She noticed a pair of keys hanging up. Snatching them, she ripped the door open. She heard loud footsteps from behind her.

She quickened her sprint.

Only she stopped when she looked at the truck – more particularly the headlights. One of them was smashed.

It all dawned on her like a ton of bricks.

Bo was the creepy trucker at the campsite last night.

The truck parked in the driveway being her only option, Elena swiftly jumped through the open window of the truck. Managing to successfully crawl through the window, she rolled the glass back up just as Bo smashed against the car.

Panicked, she locked the door and stabbed the keys in the ignition.

"Open the damn door, Elena!" Bo folded his arms together, looking at her like a scolded child.

"Fuck you!" Elena spat, glaring.

He smirked and smashed one of his elbows against the window without warning. Elena screamed as he reached inside and tried to pull her out. She crawled across the seats, gripping the end as he pulled.

She tried to kick him with no success.

With no other option, Elena reached forward and twisted the keys in the ignition.

The truck roared to life.

"What the hell are you doing?" he demanded from the outside.

Wordlessly, Elena made the truck go in reverse. She reached down and pressed her hand to the gas, nearly flooring it.

Bo held on to the truck as it speeded from his driveway backwards. He was still holding on to her legs and Elena quickly thought of a way to get rid of him.

She maneuvered her hand towards the brake and smashed it to the floor. Instantly, the truck stopped dangerously and much to her delight, Bo flew off the truck, landing not-so-gracefully on the grass.

Snatching her legs inside, Elena gripped the steering wheel, pulling herself up to a sitting position, and attempted to drive away from the town.

Elena stepped on the gas and spun the truck around.

There was only one problem.

She was stuck.

One of the truck's wheels fell off the slope.

"No!" Elena whispered in horror, looking behind her in the broken window. "This isn't happening!"

Quickly reaching into her pocket, Elena pulled out her cell phone and attempted to dial a number.

"You're definitely different from the rest of them, I'll give you that."

Before Elena could look up from her phone, she felt a blow to her head.

Bo smirked and instantly ripped the door open. Much to his sick delight, the girl was out cold. He striked her pretty rough. But it was necessary.

She certainly almost managed to escape him and the thought of that entertained him, for some odd reason.

Snatching the keys from the ignition, he placed them in his pocket before grabbing the unconscious girl and slinging her over his shoulder.

Daylight was slowly fading away into darkness as the man carried his victim back into his home, softly closing the door behind them.

_._

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Date Posted: 08/22/14

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the positive feedback that I've been receiving from everyone :D I think the next chapter is definitely going to earn it's rightful place in the M rating category. **

**I hope you all enjoyed and were on the edge of your seats during this chapter XD**

**Of course, please review :D**

**- Nina **


	10. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Soon, Caroline Forbes was engulfed by thousands of people in the Memorial Stadium of Chicago, Illinois. It was approximately three in the afternoon and she was attempting to reach Elena in the women's public bathroom. The restrooms smelled like sweat and cigarette smoke.

The blonde plugged her nose distastefully as she impatiently tapped her foot, hoping that her best friend would finally get reception from that ghost town. The lone light bulb above her flickered a couple times, dimming the small space.

A toilet flushed and Caroline had to hold her breath from throwing up due to the foul stench – the stench reminded her of the dead carcasses from earlier this morning. She suppressed the strong urge to gag.

An older lady with an Eagles shirt and cap came out of a stall. Caroline frowned when the lady didn't maneuver to the sink to wash her hands.

"Excuse me." Caroline said, her phone still against her ear. "Are you seriously just gonna walk out with dirty hands?"

The lady glared in a grumpy fashion at the blonde, but complied anyway and began to wash her hands.

"Don't give me a nasty look, lady. Washing your hands has been a priority since—"

Caroline shut up as soon as she heard reception pick up and she heard Elena's voice on the other line.

"Caroline."

The blonde fumed. Her friend had her worried sick. Elena was supposed to call from a phone as soon as she got into that town. What had she been doing the entire time?

"Elena Gilbert!" Caroline shouted, picturing Elena on the phone with a wincing expression. Without waiting for Elena to say anything, Caroline continued her rant, ignoring the woman's annoyed facial expressions.

"Do you have any _freaking_ idea of how worried I've been over you guys? Like, what the hell? I've called you like a _thousand_ times!"

The blonde was breathing in harsh pants by the time she was finished. As soon as the woman finished washing her hands, she walked away, but not before commenting, "Heinous bitch." With that, the woman walked out.

Pressing the phone to her shoulder, Caroline retaliated, "Yeah? Well, Eagles suck!" she shouted out the closed door, knowing well that the woman heard her.

With an eye roll, Caroline pressed the phone back to her ear to hear the middle of Elena's words, "—finally just entered a house where I have reception." That's all she heard from Elena.

"A house?" demanded Caroline. "Whose house are you at?"

She was curious and a little cautious as to why Elena was at someone's house. All they had to do was go to the town, pick up a fan-belt from the auto shop there, and go back to Stefan's car. What the hell was Elena doing at a house?

"Some guy named Bo." Elena supplied, nonchalantly. "He works at the local gas station."

"Ooh. Is he cute?" asked the blonde in a playful manner. She always loved to tease Elena about boys.

"Caroline Forbes!"

Caroline's smile grew.

"Whaaat? I'm serious." Caroline absentmindedly pulled out some paper towels from the dispenser and wiped away all the water remains from the rude woman who was being forced to wash her hands. The _clean freak_ of Caroline Forbes got the best of her.

"You're always saying you need a break from Stefan…" Caroline drawled out, trying to push Elena's buttons.

"I'm not gonna cheat on him, Care." She could picture Elena rolling those large doe eyes. "And if you absolutely _must_ know, I admit, he's kinda cute."

A smirk replaced Caroline's features. She knew her best friend way too well.

"Oh, so he's definitely a hottie then?" she asked innocently. She silently laughed as she heard Elena's defensive tone.

"I said he was _cute_, Caroline."

Annoying Elena Gilbert was constantly Caroline's goal as being her best friend.

"Elena Gilbert." Caroline announced as if she was an anchor woman about to deliver a news report. "Honey, I've known you all my life and every time you say a guy is _cute_, he turns out to be deliciously _gorgeous_."

She quickly peeked behind her to make sure she was alone. If Klaus heard her say that… Well, she didn't want to know what his reaction would be.

"I am _so_ not having this conversation with you, Caroline." Annoyance was laced in the brunette's voice.

"Loosen up, Lena." Caroline laughed. After a moment, she sobered and asked seriously, "So, what's up? Did you guys find that fan belt thing or whatever?"

Caroline knew zilch about vehicles and car parts. But thankfully, Elena knew what she was talking about.

"Yeah." Elena informed. "Business is being taken care of at the moment. I don't know what the plan is after this, but I don't know, maybe Stefan and I will crash in a motel here or something. This town is actually really nice."

Caroline groaned when she heard the disgusting term _town_. After living in Mystic Falls her entire eighteen years of life, Caroline is _so_ done with small towns.

"Ugh. I hate towns, especially _small_ towns."

"You hate a lot of things, Care." Elena reminded.

"That's true. Okay, we're literally at the game now." Caroline finished wiping from the counter and deposited the soaked paper towels in the trash. "So, we're probably gonna be here for a long-ass time." Caroline rolled her blue eyes as she said this.

She really didn't want to be here. But in order to make her boyfriend happy, she would do just about anything to keep that happiness living.

"Did you guys still want to tag along or…?"

Caroline crossed her fingers, hoping that Elena and Stefan would haul their asses over here.

Much to her disappointment, Elena answered, "I don't know… I'm not in the mood for a loud, crowded football game and I don't think Stefan is either. I think we should just probably keep to ourselves and try to work things out. Because I don't want to be on Stefan's bad side forever, you know?"

As much as Caroline wanted to disagree, Elena was right. Things between her and Stefan were bad, and Caroline didn't want that. Maybe their alone time would fix things.

"Well, we can always just meet you guys back out there once the game is over. We'll probably spend a night in Chicago and wake up early to go meet up with you guys, wherever the hell you are."

"Okay, I don't have much service here." Elena informed, making Caroline frown. But she kept her mouth shut and waited for Elena to finish. "But when I get the chance, I'll call you. If not, then just meet us in the town of Ambrose. You should be able to find it on the GPS."

Concern spilled out of Caroline's voice as she responded, "Cool. Are you guys okay?"

They better be.

"We're fine, Caroline. Quit worrying."

"That's what the boys keep telling me." Caroline said, dryly, growing extremely annoyed of people telling her to _quit worrying_. Was it bad to be concerned for someone's safety? Caroline sure as hell didn't think so.

"Then maybe you should listen to them." She heard a playful tone. "I'll talk to you soon, Caroline. Seriously, no worries. Everything is fine. I'll see you sometime tomorrow."

"Be safe." Caroline warned.

"Will do. Bye." Elena finished.

"Bye." Caroline ended the phone call and reluctantly slid the phone back in her pocket.

Well, at least they're safe.

Caroline couldn't shake that eerie feeling growing inside as she exited the disgusting bathroom and welcomed the loud noises of the football stadium.

.

.

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* * *

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.

Darkness consumed Elena; swallowing her. Alert coursed through her system as her eyes opened widely and she frantically glanced around, trying to spot anything in the dark. She became painfully aware of the agony that was running through waves over her body. Everywhere _hurt_.

A waterfall of questions danced around her; where was she, what happened, where is everyone, where is _he_? Panic seized her and she attempted to move, but she couldn't. She struggled uselessly and came to the horrible realization that her wrists were tied down, and it wasn't tape. It was something stronger, more firm. Something that would be a lot harder to escape from.

Another pathetic tug of her wrist and she noticed it was a thick zip-tie; a type of fastener to hold items together. They were usually used for electric cables or wires, not for tying people against their will. Elena glared at the offensive tie that was trapping her wrists against the wooden headboard. A gasp escaped the teenager's mouth as another terrible realization kicked in.

She was trapped on a bed, and it can't be just _any_ bed. A wave of nausea swept over her and tears started rolling down her cheeks. She couldn't breathe. The hurricane of tears crashed as she thought about her friends and boyfriend.

Originally, it all started out as a normal trip to get a big football game in Chicago and all of this was happening, all because Stefan wanted to get the stupid fan-belt for his car. She wondered where they were right now. Shit. How long have she been knocked out for?

The last thing she remembered was Bo attacking and chasing her out of the house. With no choice, she stumbled into his truck and attempted to drive away, but he had the upper-hand, of course. Images coursed inside and she honestly wanted to throw up. After one of the tires fell off a slope, trapping Elena, she was knocked out, most likely by the twisted man who she foolishly trusted, at first.

She heavily wondered where Stefan and the rest of her friends were and if Bo has gotten to them?

What the hell should she do? Should she scream for any help? No. That would be a dumb move. If the psycho heard the screaming, he would come inside the room. A chill shot through her body like a bullet as she wondered what the hell he was going to do with her.

Would he…? Elena couldn't think of that disturbing thought. That disgusting thought brought tears to her eyes.

No time for those tears, what she needed to figure was a way to get the hell out of this freak-show town. By now, Elena's vision has grown accustomed with the dark and she scanned through her surroundings. She vaguely recognized the outlines of a wooden dresser, some nightstands, and the door that granted her freedom.

Despite this being the bedroom of a psycho, the room looked utterly ordinary.

Thinking of a desperate escape plan, she again tried to tug her hands but there was no way she'd be able to pull them free from her bonds.

After a moment of useless struggling, Elena sagged against the bed in defeat. She could already feel her wrists stinging from the sharp bonds. Small beads of blood lined her wrists.

She had to give it to him; clever idea, using zip-ties instead of regular masking tape. If it was tape, Elena could easily escape from it, but unfortunately, Elena was left with no choice but to wait for the sick bastard to come back.

Somehow, she would have to let his guard down. Anything to get him to undo those thick ties. But how would she fight back? She was able to throw a punch and knee him in the groin, but could she attempt that a second time? Her chances were slim at this point.

Before she could clearly think things through, Elena heard a distance of footsteps outside in the hall.

_Bo_.

Her heart picked up speed. Sweat beaded across her brow and palms. Afraid to breathe, she waited in the dark, waited for something to happen. The footsteps grew louder, sharper.

They stopped and Elena automatically assumed that the man was standing outside the door.

Growing more alert, Elena tensed, her wrists stinging painfully as she unknowingly dug her flesh into the bonds.

Whatever Bo was doing outside the door, it was starting to make her angry. He's _playing_ with her.

Making her think things.

Trying to mess with her and frighten her to the core.

_That sadistic fuck. _Elena cursed harshly inside her mind.

Slowly, the doorknob twisted.

Her breath fastened.

Images littered her mind of the possibilities he could do to torture her. _Was he really the torturous type?_ She thought. _That's a strong possibility._

Besides disturbing images, questions invaded. Why exactly was he doing this? Elena wanted a motive, something to understand. She wished she had taken a Psychology class in high school.

Finally, the door opened.

She lifted her head from the pillows, but frowned when she didn't see anyone in sight.

Not only was this room filled with darkness, but the hallway was pitch black as well.

Elena didn't dare say anything. It was so silent, she could hear a pin drop. Nothing.

A part of her wanted to call out, to kill the suspense that was eating her alive.

But she kept her mouth zipped.

She waited.

She knew the bastard was trying to play and it sickened her.

An outline of a figure suddenly appeared in the doorway.

Elena narrowed her eyes in the dark, trying to see. She glared, recognizing the tousled brown hair and that repulsive smirk. She remembered Damon and his smirks; his way of smirking was meant to be playful and try to annoy her. This type of man's smirking was far different than what Damon's intents were.

_Damon, please help me_. She shocked herself by silently pleading that inside her head.

Unfortunately, the raven-haired man wasn't here to help her. What made things worse, he was all the way out in Chicago. There was no way he was going to help her now.

She was alone at this point.

Bo leaned against the door and crossed his arms, looking like he was enjoying the sight of his victim.

_Shit_. Elena cursed silently. _How in the fucking world am I going to take him down?_

This never occurred to Elena, but the man towered at a six foot height, at least, maybe taller. All Elena knew was that he empowered her short height. Not only was he taller, he was wider, but still lean in a way that reminded her of Damon.

Bo hasn't said anything, which frightened her. The silence made it worse. She moistened her lips and cleared her dry thought.

"Please…" she begged in a whisper, knowing for certain that he definitely heard her.

Seeing the malicious man in the dark reminded her of the Bogeyman. Her little brother used to try to scare her with stories when they were younger, Elena remembered. And this was _far_ worse than hearing a scary story.

"You know something, darlin'." He finally spoke, but hadn't moved from his position at the door. "I'll give you credit, you actually _almost_ succeeded in getting away."

Elena turned her head away, feeling ashamed. He was right; she was _so_ close to escaping.

"You've certainly fought back more than the others." Bo observed curiously, carefully watching her reaction.

"_Others_?" Elena questioned, quietly.

"Oh, what?" He sneered from the door. "You think that you're special or something, huh? You think that you're the first to be trapped like this? Oh, sweetheart, you don't even want to _know_ how many people I encountered before you."

Elena felt like someone thrust their hand into her chest and ripped out of her heart. She felt mournful for the unknowing victims. She wondered what he did with them.

Bo pushed himself from the door and slowly advanced.

"I'm sorry, that was mean."

He softly apologized. Elena arched an eyebrow, startled at the sudden gentleness of his tone.

He was now standing at the foot of the bed. He fingered the laces of her Converse shoes. For a brief second, Elena thought of kicking him, but she slid that thought back quickly. That would only anger him. She watched carefully as he drew his fingers in circles on her shoes.

"I remember being a kid and wearing Chuck Taylor's." Bo murmured, thoughtfully. "Problem was, they were never cheap."

Elena didn't say anything. His attempt at a normal-sounding conversation scared her. He sounded so nonchalant. She preferred when he was sounding menacing or intimidating. The softness of his voice brought chills down her spine.

"Surprised people still wear these. Didn't think this would be a type of shoe that girls would wear."

"They're comfortable." Elena spat, suddenly defensive.

Bo nodded in agreement.

"Of course. I admit, I like you a bit already, Miss. You managed to surprise me on so many levels. All the ladies I've encountered before; they were _stupid_. No common sense. Did nothing but cry and pathetically beg for their lives. That's one thing I hate, women who are _weak_. Damsels in distress, to be exact."

Elena opened her mouth to speak, but decided to close it up, letting him finish speaking.

"At first, I thought you were like the rest of them. Nothing but a sweet, innocent defenseless teenage girl. You certainly put up more of a fight than your own _boyfriend_."

"What have you done with Stefan?" asked Elena, digging her wrists into the cuffs again, eliciting blood.

"Oh, me? I've done absolutely nothing with that dickhead boyfriend of yours. That wasn't my job. My main focus here is _you_."

That wasn't _his_ job. What did Bo mean by that?

"Is he still… alive?" asked Elena, desperate to know the answer. Tears pricked her vision again and she didn't bother hiding them.

Bo paused for a moment, pursing his lips, he seemed to be in deep thought. Then, without warning, he switched on the lamplight, casting faint light in the bedroom. The sudden light hurt her eyes.

Then, he stood by her on the bed, and with excellent skill, he grabbed a large pocket knife from his pants. Elena shrank back in fear and Bo grabbed her wrist. Closing her eyes tight, she waited for painful penetration of the knife.

But much to her surprise, he instead cut through the thick zip-tie effortlessly. Discarding the plastic from her wrist, he retrieved to the other side of the bed to release her other wrist.

Her wrists could sing in joy from being freed. Since she could see properly in the light, she was startled to see all the dried-up and fresh blood around her wrists.

She wondered what the hell he was doing. Was he letting her go? Elena seriously doubted that. Whatever he was doing, it was giving her enough time to think of something.

As soon as he released her other wrist, Bo grabbed her waist and pulled her to a standing position. Elena stumbled on her feet a bit, almost crashing into his chest but soon, she was able to stand correctly.

Just as quickly as he pulled her up, Bo was grabbing her firmly by the arm in an iron grip and forcing her to follow him out of the room and into the dark hallway. Where was he taking her?

Taking a risk, Elena only acted physically.

Without warning, she crashed into him, catching him slightly off-guard. This action resulted both of them smashing into the wall. Bo was back completely alongside the wall with Elena against him. She brought her knee up sharply.

He reacted by punching her face, her jaw. The force knocked Elena off him and into the opposite wall. Angrily, Bo advanced and grabbed the petite girl. She struggled for a moment before she elbowed him severely in the gut, making his grip around her slack.

With every ounce of strength she had left, Elena finished by knocking her head against his, head-butting him. Elena felt pain and a little woozy as she stumbled away from him in a daze.

She crawled down the stairs, immediately seeing the front door. Crawling faster, she sprinted towards the door and to her dismay, it was locked. Quickly, she went for the window, but it was locked too.

Elena spotted a chair in the corner of her eye and picked it up to smash it into the window. Nothing happened. The only thing that broke was the chair. Elena thrashed the chair desperately against the window but nothing was happening.

Throwing the chair down with an angry snarl, Elena studied the glass a little more before she realized it was maxi glass. A shatter-resistant alternative to glass…

"Clever bastard." Elena whispered.

She heard shuffling upstairs. She knocked Bo out pretty well, she had to gloat for a second. But he was probably getting up, and she had to do something, quick.

Elena dashed for the kitchen and searched through the drawers to find a weapon. There was nothing in the kitchen drawers that could protect her. No knives anywhere.

Not knowing what else to do, Elena stood in the kitchen and listened. Footsteps, nearby, coming down the stairs.

Elena's heart fastened.

She spun around and looked for a place to hide. Her eyes landed on one of the bottom cabinet kitchen drawers. She hurried over and silently opened the door. Thankfully, inside was completely empty.

Elena crawled inside and pulled her knees up to her chest and attempted to keep her breathing in check. She was playing hide and seek with a psycho. Luck was not on her side. She stopped breathing when she heard muffled footsteps inside the kitchen, dangerously close to her hiding spot.

The footsteps grew louder.

He had to be only a few feet away from where she was hiding.

"Elena, come on out." She heard Bo's voice call out in a sing-song tone. "I'm not going to hurt you, sweetheart."

_Yeah fucking right_, Elena silently scoffed.

"Don't make me do this, Elena." His voice came out in a low growl. She could hear him slowly pacing back and forth in the kitchen. "You know, I _was_ gonna show you where Stefan was… Until you pulled that idiotic ballsy stunt on me. But you blew that chance, you little bitch."

Elena cast her eyes downward, keeping her tears back. She really _did_ blow this.

"Don't make me angry, Elena. When I find you, and I _will_ – I'm going to get inside you, in every way you fear. Your _pathetic_ boyfriend can't give you what you need, sweetheart. That little prick is clearly afraid to take control and that's what you need. I want you, Elena."

_Please, leave me alone_. Elena begged in her head as tears trickled down. She cuddled her knees closer. Her body stiff, her underarms growing damp. She was on the verge of freaking out.

"I know you want me too, Elena. I mean, it was pretty obvious from the way you were looking at me earlier today."

She clapped a hand over her mouth at his ballsy statement. Questions swooped in her mind like an owl. Would he really violate her in that kind of way if he finds her? Was he really this evil and immoral? Elena trembled.

_What the hell is wrong with him?_

"Elena, get your _fucking_ ass out here or you're going to regret, little girl. Don't fucking test me…"

Elena squeezed her eyes shut in a painful manner, considering her options. Should she come out of her hiding spot? Maybe, if she apologized and begged for forgiveness, he wouldn't hurt her… _No_. Elena remembered him saying that he hated weak, pathetic girls. _Damsels in distress_. So, that's the reason why he in his twisted little way _likes_ her.

"I was originally gonna be a gentleman about this, darlin', but quite frankly, you're really starting to piss me off. As of right now, I will present to you with two options. You hear me, Elena? _Two_ options."

Bo announced as he paced back and forth.

"The cliché hard way or easy way. The easy way… you can come out of your _stupid_ hiding spot and I'll only rough you up a little for pissing me off, and perhaps I'll consider showing you where Stefan is… or the hard way; you don't get to visit poor Stefan, instead you can stay in your pitiful little hiding place and hope to God that I'm lying when I say – I know _exactly_ where you are."

She brandished a hand over her mouth, suppressing a gasp.

"And then I will come and haul your cute little ass upstairs and make you wish you were _never_ born. But, it's your choice, of course, sweetheart. If you do choose not to come out, you better pray that I'm bluffing and have no idea where you are."

_Asshole_. Elena's mixed feelings of fear, anger, and humiliation were taking place. She wanted to cry, but she decided to remain strong. She was starting to grow very pissed actually. Who did this guy think he was? What was his problem?

_Psychotic son of a bitch._

Elena managed to convince herself that Bo was bluffing. If Bo really knew where exactly she was, he probably would've dragged her out already. Elena didn't take him for the patient type.

She didn't know what to do but wait.

She had no idea how long it has been, but he obviously didn't know where she was.

Maybe, he given up. Maybe, he went out into town. Elena doubted that. Her body grew numb as she continued to wait. She sat inside the cabinet for what it seemed like forever, and still nothing.

What was he doing?

Elena was sure it's been over an hour at this point. She hadn't heard from him since his _Two Options Asshole Speech _he made. Elena wondered suddenly about a phone around here. Maybe, she could dial the cops, or Caroline, or anybody. Maybe, she could call 911 and leave the phone off the hook, so the cops could hear everything and trace it back.

She had to try it.

Her hands were shaking uncontrollably as she peered through the thin crack of the door. Nothing in sight. Elena stayed completely calm, not wanting to experience a mental breakdown. She's remained alive for this long, she had to fight for her life now.

She inched the door open, achingly slowly.

Complete silence.

Soon, the door was pushed open completely and Elena peeked through. Bo was nowhere in sight. As quietly as possible, Elena crawled out of the cabinet. Her sore legs shook in fear and she inched a step forward, careful not to make a sound that would attract unwanted attention.

Where the hell is he?

Elena saw a golf club, hidden between counters. Perfect for a weapon in case she had to defend herself. Holding it protectively in front, Elena continued to inch her way out of the kitchen, her eyes desperately searching for a phone.

She peered around the corner and into the living room. It was dark out there, she couldn't really see anything. It must be nighttime already, due to the darkness out the window.

Elena hesitantly stepped out. Her eyes caught sight of a clock on one of the desks. It read nine o' clock. Elena's eyes bulged. She's been knocked out for all those hours?

When Bo revealed his true intentions, it was like what, three o' clock in the afternoon.

As Elena walked around quietly in the dark living room, she finally spotted a phone next to the front door located on another desk. She maneuvered towards the phone.

She carefully picked it up and held it to her ear. Nothing on the other line. Elena frowned, her heart dropping to her stomach. _No. No. No!_ She attempted to dial 911 and she felt defeated as she received no response.

The line was completely dead.

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Date Posted: 08/30/14

**A/N: Cliff hanger, much? Sorry about that! **

**THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEW RESPONSES! XD They truly made my day, and I hope I thanked every one of you personally, excluding the Guest reviewers, but thank you so much to you guys as well! It would make things A LOT easier for me if you weren't a guest but someone with an account so I can thank you properly :D **

**So, my second week of school went well! A lot easier than the first week. Now, it's Memorial Day Weekend and I have Monday off :D Who knows, if I'm feeling generous, I may post TWO chapters this weekend ;D**

**I'm so sorry for the lack of Klaroline in this chapter, I originally added a scene with them but I didn't like how it turned out. It felt out of place, so I decided to save that for later and instead wrote the part with Caroline calling Elena. But I felt this chapter was more important to focus on Elena and see the situation she's presented with. **

**By the way, I don't know if anyone noticed, but this story is officially rated M at this point. Language, Violence, etc. So yeah, just letting everyone know :D**

**REVIEWS ARE LOVE!**

**- Nina **


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

The line was completely dead.

"Shit." Elena cursed, resisting the urge to rip the phone from its place and smash it against the wall. Instead, she softly placed the phone back on the receiver. Her dark eyes hesitantly peered around the gloomy living room.

She caught outlines of furniture and desks cluttered around the room. But no sign of _him_ so far. Relief hit her, but at the same time, she hated the fact that she was waiting in suspense. Waiting for him to pop out of nowhere similar to a horror movie.

Shielding the steel club in front of her, Elena took small steps forward, carefully watching everything in sight. What if he was hiding from her? What if he was in this room right _now_? That creepy thought made her shudder.

Goosebumps grazed her body. Surprisingly for summer, the house inside was at a chill temperature. Elena couldn't tell if the AC was on or not. Funny how hot it was earlier and now it was really cold. Odd.

Elena took blind steps, trying to remain quiet as possible. She was standing on her toes at this point to make less noise. Already, she was halfway across the living room. It was dead silence inside. She could hear her nervous short breaths. _In and out. In and out. _Elena reminded herself, attempting to keep her breathing low and steady.

_Creak_.

Elena flinched but then realized that it was just her that made the creepy low groaning noise. _Damn these wooden floors._ She could smell the oak. Smelled like it's been slowly decaying through years. _How old is this house?_ Elena guessed maybe it was built in the 70s, possibly 60s.

Sliding those thoughts away, Elena focused on the main situation she was placed against. She _had_ to stay on alert. Her eyes narrowed in the obscure living room. She scanned those narrow eyes of hers around, spinning in a slow 360, making sure no one was standing behind her. She thought about smashing the windows again – No, that wouldn't work. _Stupid fucking maxi glass. _

How else would she escape? Maybe there was a backdoor? Elena doubted that. If Bo was psycho enough to replace the glass of the windows with a shatter-proof resistant shield, Elena automatically assumed everything else would be dead bolted and locked-up. _How the actual fuck am I going to get out of here_? She frantically questioned herself, the anxiety getting the best of her. She was a few moments away from having a major break-down. All she wanted to do was collapse and sob.

Elena thought about her friends and Stefan. Oh, _Stefan_. Her heart felt like it was being ripped out of her chest and crushed until there was nothing left. The guilt was slowly coursing through her body, flowing through her veins. _Why did he have to stay and get that stupid fucking fan belt? _ Elena thought, shocking herself of the use of harsh language. She never used curse words, but being forced in a nightmare like this, Elena started not to care at this point. This was her _life_. And she wasn't about to let some psychopath rip it away from her. She _had_ to stay strong and fight back. She prayed to God that her friends were okay, and that they would _remain_ okay. _Please, stay in Chicago, as long as possible._ The selfish part of her wanted them to come for her rescue. The selfless part of her wanted them to stay far away as possible. The latter won her over.

Forcing back tears, Elena took bold steps. _Where the fuck is he?_ She screamed in her mind. _Wow, he really was bluffing when he said he knew where I was_—"

Elena froze.

She suppressed a gasp that was threatening to come out.

There was Bo – sitting in the armchair in the corner of the dark room. Quiet, tense, and pissed off. Silently _watching_ her. Elena knew from the beginning she felt another presence in the room. _How long was he sitting there for? In the fucking dark? Could he get anymore creepy? _His features were obscure but Elena could tell from the aura he was giving off – he was very _pissed_. His eyes were black charcoals in the dark, sending painful shivers down her spine.

Her grip on the club tightened. She held it in position, waiting to strike if necessary. The part that was beginning to freak her out the most was that Bo was doing absolutely _nothing_ at the moment. Their eyes locked.

He was waiting for _her_ to do something.

She was waiting for _him_ to do something.

For an excruciatingly long moment, the two stared each other down.

"Thought you would never come out from your hiding spot in the kitchen." Bo broke the dead silence. His voice was laced with annoyance and impatience. Yet underneath, it was subtly fastened with deadliness. Elena could tell he was _not_ happy with her.

When silence took advantage again, Elena started thinking. _How the hell was she going to get out of this situation? _ She severely wished she had the thinking ability like Jimmy Neutron. _Think! Think!_ _Damn it. Not smart enough for a genius._

Slowly, Elena lowered her club, to show she wasn't going to be a threat with it. She needed answers.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, softly. Bo chuckled quietly at her ridiculous question.

"Curiosity killed the cat." He said, in an obvious tone, a smirk crossing his features.

"But satisfaction brought it back." She retorted, smugly.

From the expression on his face, Elena knew she was shocking him again by acting in an arrogant manner. Elena was never an arrogant person to begin with. Maybe, he was bringing that unknown side out of her. All she knew was that he was pissing her off, now.

"You think you're cute. But cute is going to get you nowhere."

"_Why_ are you doing this?" she asked again, stronger and clearer this time.

"Oh, c'mon, Elenaaa…" He drawled her name out lowly. Elena lifted the club again for protection as he rose out of his seat. But he didn't step forward. _Yet_.

"Be more original." He scolded, almost sounding playful. It _sickened_ her. Then, he took a step. But just one. One step to make Elena go backward one step. "Always the same _fucking_ questions I get." Another step. "Do you not understand how _annoying _those questions are, doll?" Another step. "Besides, you'll be dead. _Eventually_. So what does it matter?" Another step.

"You're fucking _twisted_. Has anyone ever told you that?" Elena spat, glaring. He smirked.

"I tell myself that everyday actually."

Then he lunged forward. Elena shrieked as he knocked both of them down to the wooden floor. The back of her head connected with the hard floor. Dots and patterns danced across her vision for a moment.

"If I knew a simple tumble would suffice, I would have done that a long time ago, sweetheart." He chuckled sinisterly as he loomed above her. When her vision cleared, she made a move to grab the club that was resting on her stomach but he was pinning both her hands down beside her head. "Now, I prefer this vulnerable position of yours much better, darlin'." Bo leaned down so his mouth was inches away from hers.

Elena glared. "I'm. Not. Your. Fuckin'. Darlin'." She tried to slide her knee upward but he was quicker this time and he clamped her leg together between his thighs, trapping them. "You son of a bitch!" She cursed, struggling with her hands but his grip was far stronger.

"You're right. My mother was a bitch." He leaned down even closer. He was _so_ close, she could smell his breath. Cigarettes and spearmint. An odd combination. Elena wanted to gag at the cigarette stench. She _despised_ cigarettes with a burning passion.

"Get away from me, you sick fuck!" she growled, digging her nails deep into his flesh as he held her tight.

"Calm down, Elena." He had the audacity to roll his eyes. Elena wanted to scratch them out. "If you would stop struggling, it would make it easier for the both of us." He whispered deeply, his lips barely touching hers. His clutch on her hands loosened as he trailed them down her sides. In the corner of her eye, she spotted a screwdriver right next to them.

"Are you always this charming or am I just lucky?"

"Careful with the sarcasm, Elena. It's quite unbecoming of you."

"Oh, yeah? _Good_."

She snatched the screwdriver while he wasn't looking. In one quick swipe, she stabbed the screwdriver right into his chest. His entire grip on her slackened and she quickly seized the opportunity to deliver a swift punch to his cheek. Her knuckles screamed in protest but she only ignored the pain as she pushed the bigger man off her.

Bo groaned as he clutched the damn screwdriver that was driven in the side of his chest. It wasn't deep enough to cause harm but it was enough pain to make him weak for a brief moment. When he saw Elena quickly getting away, he growled and ripped the weapon out of his chest. He hissed and threw the tool across the room. In a flash, he was up and after her.

Elena sprinted across the hallway and up the stairs. She heard him close behind her and she quickened her steps. With no choice, she ran into the first room she could find. Just as Bo reached her, she slammed the door and could almost cry in relief as she spotted a lock.

She was breathing heavily as she leaned her forehead against the door where she could hear his deep breaths on the outside.

"Holy shit!" Elena whispered. "What the fuck am I going to do…?" She squeezed her eyes shut and felt the anger boiling inside her. She banged her fists against the door, bruising them. "You _asshole_!" She banged the door on each word. "You. Lying. Manipulating. Twisted. Piece. Of. Shit. I. Fucking. Hate. You." Elena snarled.

She heard mock laughter from the outside and backed away from the door.

"Poor _you_. Poor _Elena_. Is that what you want? For me to feel sorry for you? Now, get your fuckin' ass out here because rather you like it or not, I _will_ be coming in there."

"Fuck you!"

"Soon."

Elena glared at the closed door before she decided to look around the room for a weapon, or anything. She frowned when she scanned the room before her. It resembled an office. There was a desk in front of her and wooden filing cabinets. Looked like an office for a doctor or something. When Elena looked to the right, there were curtains hanging, but they were pushed back, revealing beds with restraining straps on them.

"What the hell?" she whispered.

She stepped forward, hoping to maybe find information on the desk, or at least a phone that actually works. Elena felt her pockets for a moment. Then she remembered she dropped her cell phone in his truck. _Shit_. Or did he take her cell phone? Elena didn't remember. He knocked her out when she was trying to reach for help.

Elena cursed when she didn't find a phone, or any useful info. She made a face of disgust when she spotted a large container filled with water. She picked it up and realized that something was floating inside, it looked like a fetus of an animal or something.

"Gross." She mumbled.

When she took a step back, her foot slipped a little. Elena looked down and clapped a hand over her mouth.

Blood stained the floor.

"Stefan…" Elena whispered, fighting back tears. This was the room he was in. When Bo first revealed himself, Elena ran up the stairs and stood outside the door and heard Stefan's cries for help.

"Oh God…"

There was a blood trail and it led to the corner of the room where a rug sat. She spotted a metal tray next to the restraining beds and grabbed a sharp scalpel before hesitantly stepping towards the rug. Her fingers trembled as she reached down and lifted the piece of carpet. Underneath was a wooden trap door. It reminded her of the horror movie _Evil Dead_. She shook with fear. That movie always scared her as a little girl.

Bolder, she slid the rug away from the wooden door. _Was this where Bo was keeping Stefan?_ She didn't want to stay hidden in the room and wait for Bo to come get her. She had to keep moving.

Her hand touched the metal handle and quietly, she lifted the door open. She positioned the scalpel in front of her as she peered down. Thankfully, it wasn't dark down there. There was source of light bulbs down there, casting an eerie form of light. _Better that than the dark._

There was a trail of stairs that led down to the basement. Elena prepared herself by grabbing the rug and positioning it over the open door so that way when she closed it, it would look the same as she found it. Chances are Bo would probably know where she was, but she didn't want to leave obvious evidence behind.

Quickly, Elena climbed down a few steps and delicately shut the door above her.

The door fell with a soft thud.

Elena watched the door for a moment before turning around and facing the long stretch of a hallway in front of her. She frowned. _What the hell is this place?_ She finished walking down the stairs and took baby steps.

She shuddered when she looked at the side of the walls. It looked like faces were molded into them. Elena took a step closer to study the material. It appeared to be some wax substance. She stretched her hand out and scratched the material with her fingernail.

It was wax.

"Creepy." She commented.

She slowly continued forward, grasping the scalpel in an iron grip. She was halfway down the dim hallway when she heard the faint noise of a machine. Rounding a corner, Elena turned and recognized a bulky machine that was align to the left of the wall. On the right side, a board of control switches affiliated the wall. _What the hell is this?_ The control panel of the house, maybe.

Elena decided to keep moving on and soon, she was standing in a room. The temperature seemed to increase. It was boiling hot down here. Elena could already feel herself beginning to sweat. She pushed her long hair out of her face and studied the room.

In the center of the room, a large table sat. It appeared to be like a wooden island counter. Various trays of tools surrounded the table. On the right side of the room, there was a brick fireplace along with a huge pot inside. The pot reminded her of a witch melting pot that was used to make witches brew or something. In the corner of the right side, a bed was located against the wall. Down the length of the room, it appeared to be another hallway that led to somewhere but Elena wasn't quite sure where.

The left side of the room was cluttered with desks and papers littered everywhere. Elena hesitantly studied the contents. Artist tools were jumbled all over the place. This entire room appeared to belong to an artist of some sort. Elena continued down the line of the square room and came to an end where there was a certain desk that caught her attention. A lamp was lit and countless pads of sketches were layered across the desk. _That's weird._ Elena didn't think Bo would be the artistic type.

She picked up one of the sketches and glazed curious eyes over the drawing. It was an exceptionally fine drawing of a mother holding her infant child. The amount of detail blew her away. The entire sketch was done by pencil. Elena traced her fingers over the shades. Her eyes skimmed the paper before identifying a name in the corner bottom. _Vincent_. Elena dropped the paper and it floated to the floor.

_Did Bo lie about his real name? _ Elena questioned. _Or is Vincent another person? _ She skimmed her eyes over the rest of the sketches and recognized the same name for each drawing. Each one she looked at was amazing. Whoever did these had amazing talent. Elena's eyes noticed a certain one and she picked it up.

A picture of Siamese twin babies, conjoined at the head. It disturbed Elena but also fascinated her at the same time. Gently, she placed the paper back down. Looking through the papers again, Elena jumped when she recognized something.

Something that belonged to _her_.

Tears streamed down her face as she picked up her diary. The journal was face down and left on a certain entry – the last entry she wrote before she found out it was stolen the next morning. She _knew_ someone took it.

_This trip is becoming a bigger hassle than I imagined before._ Her diary read. _The weirdest and creepiest thing happened tonight. A pick-up truck, out of nowhere, decided to show up at our camp. I remember being so scared, because of the fact that the person didn't do anything, only just stayed in his truck, the lights shining brightly on us… watching us, it feels like._

"That bastard," Elena cursed softly before she set the diary down where she found it. Elena turned around from the table. Her gut twisted when she saw something a few feet away.

There was a contraption of some sort and a figure sitting inside the device.

Elena's heart thundered inside her chest dangerously as she slowly moved towards the contraption. It appeared that the figure sitting down in a chair inside the cage-like machine was covered in a thick substance. She realized it was _wax_.

"What the fuck?"

She dared to look closer and noticed there was another smaller device around the figure's head. It reminded her of Pinhead from _Hellraiser_.

Elena's brown eyes caught sight of green eyes.

She choked back a sob.

"Oh my God!" she cupped a hand against her mouth. Without realizing it, she dropped the scalpel. The hurricane of tears returned and Elena took a few steps back as she unfortunately comprehended the horrifying fact that she knew the person stuck inside that sickening contraption.

Stefan.

"No. No. _No_." Elena repeated as her chest tightened and she felt like she couldn't breathe. She took another step back and felt her back collide against something or _someone_. Elena felt a firm chest and the tears rushed down even faster. She knew who it was behind her.

"Kill me." She decided, whispering. She couldn't bear the pain of this nightmare any longer. Elena wanted it to go away. "Kill me, _please_." She begged, still facing forward, her back against his chest.

No response. _What the hell is he waiting for?_

"_Fucking_ kill me already, goddammit."

No response.

"What are you—"

Elena turned around to face the person.

She released a murderous scream.

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Date Posted: 09/01/14

**A/N: Here's your double update for the weekend :D Keep being amazing guys! Be expecting another update this weekend! Thank you!**

**Again, sorry for the cliff-hanger! I can't resist those XD **

**Of course, please review :D As an author, it always feels awarding and encouraging to receive responses!**

**- Nina **


	12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

"That game sucked!" Caroline complained once the game _finally_ ended. It was about eight o' clock at night and they were currently driving around Chicago, trying to find a motel to crash for the night.

"Caroline, you're not a football fan." Klaus reminded, a hint of amusement splashed across his face as his girlfriend continually complained in the passenger seat.

"Remind me again _why_ she's here?" Damon muttered, annoyance clearly laced in his voice.

"Oh, go fuck yourself, Damon." Caroline growled, briefly spinning her head to glare at the cocky Salvatore.

"With pride, Blondie." He smirked, enjoying the sight of an angry Caroline Forbes; she was so pissed, her cheeks tinted red.

"Why are you always in such a bad mood, Caroline?" asked Jeremy, as he lounged in the backseat with Damon. His brown eyes looked out the window, glued to the city lights. "It seems like this past month, you've been nothing but bitchy." He added, stifling a yawn since he was drained from the amount of driving and the game.

"I'm not _always_ in a bad mood, Gilbert." Caroline defended. "I apologize if I hurt anyone's feelings; I guess I'm just worried over the fact that our friends are _alone_ for the night in a _ghost town_!" She spat out in sardonic tone.

"Love, they'll be okay. You spoke to Elena earlier, right? Like you said so yourself, they're fine. They can protect themselves. What's the worst that can happen?" Klaus said, nonchalantly, not at all bothered about that fact.

"Honestly, have you guys _seriously_ forgot what happened the other night?" Caroline shrieked, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Remember the creepy truck that showed up at the campsite? Has it ever crossed your dimwitted minds that maybe the creepy trucker person _lives_ in that town and could possibly hurt them?"

"You are thinking _way_ too much, Blondie. Be careful, before you fry that brain of yours." Damon warned, his words sarcastic.

"You guys are unbelievable." Caroline muttered, her eyes darting out the window. When she wasn't looking, Klaus slipped his hand into hers, but Caroline only pulled her hand away from his touch. She didn't want to acknowledge him or anyone at the moment. The stress was finally getting to her, and it was draining her.

Soon, Klaus found a cheap motel and ordered two rooms for the night. They all decided they would wake up early in the morning and make it back to where Elena and Stefan were.

Caroline was scarily quiet as she lounged in the chair that was located at the corner of their room. Both her hands were clasped together in front of her face as she stared forward. Klaus was busy resting on the bed, busy changing the channels on the TV. He decided to leave his girlfriend alone for a while.

Caroline couldn't help it; she was so worried over her friends. Absentmindedly, she grabbed her cell phone just to make sure there was no missed calls or messages. Nothing. With a sigh, Caroline dialed Elena's number and waited for an answer. No response.

"You're killing yourself, love." Klaus commented, softly, his eyes glued to the TV screen.

Caroline didn't respond, instead she rose out of the chair and stomped into the bathroom and slammed the door, making her English boyfriend cringe from the harsh sound.

Inside the bathroom, Caroline leaned her head against the door and breathed in and out deeply. _Get a grip, Forbes._ She silently told herself. Pushing herself from the door, she balanced herself against the sink, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

The always perfect Caroline Forbes didn't look like the Caroline Forbes she saw in the mirror. Her blonde curls deflated like a balloon and her eyes held a raw emotion: _fear_. She never feared anything severely, but the last recent days, she thought she was going to throw up.

_Oh no._

Her gut twisted painfully and Caroline dove. Slamming the seat up, Caroline gripped the bowl of the toilet and heaved her contents out. _It hurt so fucking much._ She couldn't breathe as she continually gagged and gripped until her fingers turned white.

The door burst open and Klaus strode in, wide-eyed. Immediately, he crouched down beside the blonde and pulled her limp hair out of her face. He looked away with a grimace as the foul stench of vomit spoilt the air inside the bathroom.

Tears of pain and frustration slid down her cheeks as she began to sob, her head still positioned over the toilet, in case she needed to relieve herself more. Comfortingly, Klaus placed his hand on her back, rubbing soothing circles to calm her. He hated seeing her cry, he never really knew what to do to help make her feel better. _Except maybe take her out for a shopping spree_, he thought with an eye roll. Shopping always seemed to make her feel better.

"Would you…" Klaus swallowed, grimacing as he forced the dreadful words out. "Want to go shopping?" The only response he received was a sharp wailing noise. "Is that a yes?"

"No!" Caroline's voice was muffled.

"Oh…" Klaus didn't know what else to say. He was in shock; Caroline Forbes didn't want to go _shopping_? That's a first. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?"

Caroline wiped her tears away and leaned away from the toilet. Grimacing at her disgusting state, Klaus ripped some tissue and wiped her mouth free from bile. Caroline softly closed her eyes and allowed him to blot away the sickening filth from her face.

"Thank you…" she acknowledged quietly.

"No need to thank me, Caroline." His voice was equally quiet, intense. His cobalt eyes held her own.

"You know," Caroline started, her breaths shaky. A myriad of tears collected in her eyes and she closed them. "I haven't been completely honest with you, Klaus."

He stared at her, confused, but didn't say anything. _Where is this going?_

"Everything's been so chaotic lately. God, I wanted to tell you and everyone the greatest news ever, until everything got fucked up." Caroline cried, more tears trickling down.

"Love, what are you talking about?" asked Klaus, genuinely clueless.

"I was so scared." She admitted, gently. "I'm _still_ scared. I'm fucking scared of everything right now. I'm scared for Elena. For Stefan. I'm scared for my future. Klaus, I'm _scared_." She cried even more, close to sobs at this point.

He held her face tenderly in his strong hands, pulling her close, their foreheads touching.

"There's no need to be scared, Caroline. I'm right here—"

"I'm pregnant."

Klaus' heart stopped.

.

.

.

She choked back a sob.

"Oh my God!" she cupped a hand against her mouth. Without realizing it, she dropped the scalpel. The hurricane of tears returned and Elena took a few steps back as she unfortunately comprehended the horrifying fact that she knew the person stuck inside that sickening contraption.

Stefan.

"No. No. _No_." Elena repeated as her chest tightened and she felt like she couldn't breathe. She took another step back and felt her back collide against something or _someone_. Elena felt a firm chest and the tears rushed down even faster. She knew who it was behind her.

"Kill me." She decided, whispering. She couldn't bear the pain of this nightmare any longer. Elena wanted it to go away. "Kill me, _please_." She begged, still facing forward, her back against his chest.

No response. _What the hell is he waiting for?_

"_Fucking_ kill me already, goddammit."

No response.

"What are you—"

Elena turned around to face the person.

She released a murderous scream.

Whoever this person was, it wasn't Bo. At least, Elena didn't think so. Although, the person seemed to reach the same height as Bo. Her eyes draped over his body, noticing the work pants and worn-out long-sleeved tan sweater. His hair, Elena realized, was long – as long as hers possibly, and dark, much like the color of Damon's hair.

His face, it wasn't even a real face – it was a mask.

A mask made of wax. The features was molded to resemble a person's face. It appeared to be sculpted to fit the stranger's features. His eyes – his right one was a startling blue and the other one was missing.

"Oh my God…" Elena cried, stepping back, completely terrified of the _thing_ in front of her.

"Did you find the little bitch?" A voice called out from the tunnels, echoing into the basement. Elena immediately recognized the southern accent.

She turned to run the opposite direction, but the man was far quicker than she was. Before she could manage to get a few feet away, he glided his burly arms around her. Elena shrieked and tried to lash out to defend herself, but with failed attempt. Her violent actions did nothing to the man as he held on her firmly, one arm across her shoulder, while pinning both her hands behind her back in one grip. She struggled like a fish being caught on a pole.

Bo strolled into the room, clutching his wound on his chest, courtesy of Elena. He smirked devilishly as he noticed Elena captured.

"You're gonna pay for the damage you caused me, little girl." Bo threatened, his voice low and dangerous.

Elena narrowed her eyes. "You're just pissed because you got your ass kicked. Three times, if I remember correctly."

Bo forced out a bitter smile before he casually picked up a carving knife from the tray of various supplies. Elena's eyes grew as he slowly advanced towards her, the blade of the knife practically gleaming as it edged closer to her. _Fuck_. She tried to step back, but couldn't, due to the fact that the man was holding her in place.

"You only brought this upon yourself, _Elenaaa_…" He drawled her name out, sending shivers down her spine. "If only you behaved like a good girl, you wouldn't be stuck in this predicament, now would you?"

As he stood in front of her, he raised the knife.

She closed her eyes.

Tight.

Waiting for the blow to happen.

The next thing happened so fast, it took her a few seconds to analyze. She was pushed back.

Behind the man in one fluid motion.

Her eyes opened and she found herself behind the man in the wax mask.

"What the fuck are you doing, Vince?" Bo snapped, sharp and aggressive. "Get. Are you fucking deaf? I _said_ get!"

The man didn't say anything.

"What?" Bo sneered. "Don't tell me you're protecting the little bitch."

Elena retreated a hesitant step back, watching the scene unfold in front of her closely. She had no clue who the person was, but she did not _appreciate_ the way Bo was acting towards him.

"_Stupid_ freak." Bo shook his head, clearly annoyed. "You want the girl? _Fine_. But once you're done with her, make sure to save some of that ass for me, ye hear?" When he didn't receive a response back, Bo smacked the side of his head harshly, making Elena flinch. "Answer me when I'm talking to ya!"

In return, the man nodded his head in bleak acknowledgement.

"Much better," Bo said before he stepped back and glazed his greedy eyes over the teenage girl trembling behind the masked man. "Luck is on your side for now, Elena." Then, turning to the man, he said, "Make sure she doesn't escape. If you wanna kill her and get it over with, be my guest. Soon, the town will be perfect. Ma would be impressed." He patted the masked man on the shoulder and turned to leave the room.

Elena stood, completely frozen to her spot. _What the hell just happened? _She looked at the strange man, studying him until it clicked in her head. _This must be Vincent._ The artist of those pictures. _So… does that mean – are Bo and Vincent related? Siblings, perhaps?_ Bo mentioned their _ma_. Elena's mind was reeling.

Vincent was still facing the direction where Bo left the room. Then, slowly, he turned around and looked at the petite girl.

Elena's heart hammered as she waited for him to do something.

He inched a step forward.

She remained glued on the spot, panic stricken. She was experiencing that same moment when Bo arrived at the campsite in his truck and only sat there, watching them. That moment where all she could do was freeze up.

Quicker than she knew it, the masked man was standing right in front of her. A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye as she waited for her life to end at any moment. He was watching her thoroughly, as if analyzing her. Studying her features.

She squeezed her eyes shut, and more tears dripped out of her ducts, trailing down her tanned cheeks.

Something soft touched the corner of her eye. Light like the tickle of a feather. She peeked one eye open and was utterly stunned to see that it was his finger that was wiping her single tear away.

Vincent seemed fascinated by her. His touch was gentle, surprisingly. It was as if he never touched a woman before, Elena didn't know. He was glazing over her features, seemingly captivated by them. His finger trailed over her cheek and then feathered through her thick, dark hair.

Elena didn't know what to do but just stand there, dumbfounded. Why wasn't she dead yet? The man tilted his head at a curious angle and pinched the ends of her long hair. Her erratic heartbeat slowly decreased as she peered up, staring at the carefully molded mask.

Finally, Elena pulled back and looked away, starting to grow uncomfortable. Her eyes drifted closed for a brief second, suddenly feeling hopelessly drained. The man seemed to realize her tired state as he moved past her and into the corner of the room where a bed sat.

The masked man pulled back the thick comforters and stepped away, silently gesturing her.

Elena stared at him – she didn't know if she should trust him. She only backed away until her back hit the wall on the opposite side of the room. Slowly, she slid her back against the wall and down until she was sitting on the floor.

Vincent didn't do anything. In fact, he only stared for a moment before retreating back to his desk, as if she wasn't cowering in the corner. He took a seat and she assumed that he was doing more sketches, or something.

Silent tears streamed down. Her eyes stared at the figure strapped in the contraption. _Stefan_. Her heart ached. She felt numb. Softly, she closed her eyes, trying to keep her sobs quiet.

She was mourning the loss of her boyfriend.

Shortly, she fell asleep.

.

.

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Date Posted: 09/02/14

**A/N: A lot quicker than expected update. Only because I didn't have homework today and I had nothing else better to do. Apologies for the shorter chapter, hope you guys don't mind :D**

**- Nina **


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

"You're _pregnant_?"

Shock crossed his features. He wasn't expecting this; in all honesty, he thought she was having one of her monthly tantrums, _but not something like this_. But the more he thought about it, it all started to come together, making sense. Jeremy even commented about it earlier, how Caroline been bitchy the past month. Her sudden change of mood swings, her anxiety.

Caroline sniffled and rubbed her cheeks and eyes, ridding the crocodile tears. She said, "I'm sorry I didn't say anything. Only found out a week ago, and I didn't know how to tell you." The hollow whisper of her voice scared Klaus; she always spoke in such high-spirited and bubbly tones, never in a broken fashion.

"Oh." Klaus breathed, his eyes wide and alert. Squatting in an uncomfortable position for so long, he finally leaned and sat down, next to Caroline.

She sighed, tucking her limp hair behind her ears. Her hands rubbed her temples soothingly and she told him, "I haven't even told anyone else; not even my own _best friend_." Klaus knew she was referring to Elena. Of course, she and Bonnie were great friends, but Caroline was always closer to the brunette.

"How…" He stumbled upon his words, trying to formulate a proper sentence. "Do you know how far along…?" He trailed off, but Caroline knew what he was talking about.

"First trimester." She informed, her eyes casting downwards, avoiding his. "Approximately five weeks, the doctor told me."

Klaus released a deep breath and stared at his girlfriend. It wasn't the fact that he was _disappointed_, he was just _stunned_. This was just unexpected and it caught him entirely off-guard.

Caroline mistaken his silence, thinking that he wasn't happy. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against her hands, bringing her knees up close. "I knew you would be upset."

"Caroline." Klaus said, firmly, grasping her trembling hands. "Look at me, sweetheart." He ordered, gently. She complied. "Why in the world do you think I would be upset?" He was truly confused as to why she would think that way. He wanted children more than anything in his future. And he knew for a fact Caroline would make a perfect mother – well, if the baby was a _girl_.

"Well… I don't know."

"Baby, I wasn't lying when I said we would have gorgeous babies." He said, light-heartedly, his lips barely twitching into a subtle smirk. His small smirk widened into a real smile when a laugh escaped her mouth.

"I remember you saying that." A faint blush colored her pale cheeks. She cleared her throat and continued in a cautious voice, "It's just… Klaus, I'm not even sure if I want to have children, I mean – I don't know, I don't even think I'm ready to take on something like this, Klaus. We _just_ graduated high school, I mean; this is a lot to soak in, you know?"

"I understand completely and thoroughly, love." Klaus responded, comforting her by stroking her hands, trying to ease her troubles away. "Is that why you freaked out when I asked you earlier to move in with me?" He asked, staring intently into those cerulean eyes that were wet with unshed tears.

"A little," she admitted, ripping tissue paper and blowing her nose. Throwing the icky paper in the trash, she continued, "I honestly didn't know how to respond. Because, I was still struggling wanting to tell you, but I was also still worried about the fact of our friends left behind – I mean, I'm _still_ worried."

"Yes, I noticed."

Caroline tilted her head and gave him a look. Klaus immediately closed his mouth to shut up.

"I'm sorry, I just don't know what to do. And I'm never going to do an abortion if that's what you're going to recommend to me; I don't believe in that. But… I'm just not so sure if I want to keep the baby." Caroline revealed, honestly.

"Hey," Klaus whispered, softly, lifting her chin up with his fingers. "You're not alone, and I'm not going to allow you to make a decision by yourself. I want to help you, Caroline. Please, allow me to help you. Give me that chance to make a difference."

She smiled faintly, briefly nodding her head. "I would love that, more than anything, Klaus."

"We'll do this together. You're never going to be alone, love. Okay? I promise you that."

Caroline sobbed, but not from sadness, she was overwhelmed with tears full of happiness. She threw herself into her boyfriend's strong arms and held on to him, her fingers stroking the short curls. He gently rocked her like a child, bringing a kiss to her head.

"I love you, Klaus." She whispered, more tears trickling down.

"I love you too, Care." He slid his hand down and rested it on her stomach where their baby was growing inside. He gently stroked her belly in a loving caress. "And I love our unborn child, no matter what."

Caroline held on, tighter, and closed her eyes, savoring the truest and most heartfelt moment she's ever had with Klaus.

.

.

.

Brown eyes slowly blinked open from deep sleep. The first thing Elena caught sight was a ceiling. Her brows furrowed, and she hesitantly turned her head and felt something soft, like a pillow. Her hands gripped comforters, she slightly angled her head and realized she was sleeping in a bed. _When did she fall asleep on a bed?_

Images of memories stormed in her head, and she immediately recognized her surroundings.

The basement.

The only source of light inside were hundreds of candles lit up, casting an eerie glow. It burned her eyes. Elena slowly sat up, leaning on her elbows. She noticed Stefan wasn't in that sick contraption anymore; it was empty. She frowned. _What did he do with Stefan? _

Elena held her breath as she recognized the masked man sitting across the room, his back facing her. He was bent down in concentration, sketching something on paper. Her frown deepened, when she realized he must've carried her to the bed after she passed out.

Paranoid, Elena quickly checked to make sure she was still wearing her ratty clothes, for a moment, thinking that there was a possibility he could've touched her. So far, so good. She was still wearing her white tank-top, but now it was caked with dried blood, dirt, and sweat. Her jeans looked even worse, they were ripped and torn, shredded. Her Converse looked in pretty terrible shape as well. She could only imagine what her face and hair looked like.

Elena was confident enough that Vincent hadn't done anything to her while she was sleeping, _thank God_.

Her body ached as she pushed herself up in a sitting position. Her fight with Bo gave her plenty of bruises; her jaw in particular. She remembered him punching her at one point. _Now, that hurt like a bitch._

Releasing an exhausted yawn, Elena looked down and noticed a plate of food and a glass of water resting on the side table. Her eyes peered questionably at Vincent and she had to resist jumping in surprise when she saw that he was already turned in his seat, looking at her with that molded wax face.

"Is this for me?" she asked, pointing to the plate. The only response she received was a curt nod. Elena stared at him, before whispering, "Um, thank you." She was at a loss of words. _This was weird._ Another nod of acknowledgement from Vincent was all she received. _Does he ever talk?_

For a brief moment, Elena paused as she stared down at the food which consisted of a packaged pop-tart, an apple, and a cereal bar. A thought crossed her mind of him poisoning the food, but then she slid the thought away. If he really wanted her killed, he wouldn't have protected her from being stabbed in the gut by Bo.

She decided _fuck it_, and ripped open the pop-tart package and devoured it in less than a minute. _When was the last time she ate?_ It had to been at least forty-eight hours. Her stomach was growling painfully. Elena consumed all the food and water hastily.

Her eyes darted towards Vincent; he was still sitting at his desk, seemingly engrossed in his work. Hesitantly, she stood up on shaky legs. It took a brief moment for her to perfectly balance herself. When she was confident enough not to trip and fall over, Elena took small steps, inching her way towards the strange man.

As soon as she was standing behind him, she curiously peered over his shoulder, accidentally prying. He was expertly sketching a portrait of an ocean landscape. His fingers glided across the paper, like an ice-skater on ice.

"Wow. That's _really_ good." Elena softly acknowledged.

Vincent stopped sketching for a moment, considering her words before resuming his focus.

"Did you draw all these?"

He paused again, before nodding once. Elena took that sign as a yes.

"Really good." She repeated once more. A moment of silence wavered. "It's Vincent, right?" A brief nod. "Not that it matters, I mean, I don't know, but my name's Elena, and I wanted to say thank you. Not just for your generous hospitality, but for… you know… protecting me. That was a sweet gesture…"

He didn't respond.

"Um…" Elena scratched the back of her neck, awkwardly. "Are you a mute?" she asked, the curiosity growing to an extent.

He shook his head quickly, but still continued sketching, it was nearly finished.

"So… you just don't… speak?" Elena guessed. At least he was communicating with her, in a different kind of way. A nod confirmation. "Interesting." She whispered, staring down.

He was startlingly different, but in a fresh sort of way. She couldn't find words to describe it. Elena remembered the abusive approach Bo made to Vincent, and feeling remorse for the masked man. Nobody deserved to be treated that violently.

Lost in thought, the brunette teenager never realized that he finished his previous sketch and was already starting a new blank canvas. His cunning fingers grasped her wrist, visibly startling her.

At first, she was ready to fight back, but he only gently pulled her forward, gesturing for her to sit in the stool that was adjacent with the desk. Her frown deepened as she wondered what he was doing.

Noticing her confused state, Vincent gestured to her and then to the paper and it dawned on her like a pile of bricks: _he wanted to sketch her_.

"Oh no," Elena shook her head, suddenly embarrassed. "That's okay, I – okay then. I've never been a model for a drawing." She admitted as his hand angled her face in a certain position. "Really, I'm not worth any drawing." She tried.

He tilted his head at her words, before searching for a notepad and scribbling something.

Elena patiently waited, staggered to find herself eager to see what he was writing. His first written verbal response to her.

He finished and slid the note forward so it was facing Elena.

In surprisingly well written cursive, it read, _I beg to differ with that ridiculous statement._ _Any lady is worth a drawing. A beautiful one, at that._

Her cheeks burned and she avoided his open gaze.

"Okay." She gave in, quietly. "But one drawing only, and that's it."

He wrote something.

_Yes, ma'am._

Even though she couldn't see the emotions crossing his real face under the mask, she imagined him smiling warmly, and found herself stunned to be returning the smile.

Perhaps, she made a new friend.

.

.

.

**Date Posted: 09/03/14**

**A/N: I'm really on a roll with these updates! Go me! Due to the fact that I have no homework this week, surprisingly. Anyway, thank you for the responses last chapter: **_klaroline4everlove, jessnicole, MalexisSomerholic,_ DelenaLover44. **Thank you for being awesome and the ones who make my day! I apologize that this is a filler chap, more stuff will happen for sure next chapter! Anyway, as always, please review :D And I'll be sure to send you a thank you note in return!**

**- Nina **


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

"You're really good at this." Elena observed, her doe eyes, bright with curiosity. Her previous feelings mixed with fear and anxiety began to wear off, as she grew oddly comfortable with the mysterious man. It's been a good twenty minutes as Vincent sketched Elena's portrait with excellent skill.

As Elena shifted in her spot adjacent to the desk he was perched at, she watched with fascinated eyes. The way his fingers danced gracefully across the paper with pencil was compelling; it was hard not to look away. Such detail was shown on the paper, Elena witnessed. The amount of shading made the drawing appear realistic. The picture was a replica of her; from her dark hair, angular face, sharp nose, large doe eyes, thin lips, thick eyebrows.

The flames of the candles that consumed the entire basement room flickered, a hollow eerie atmosphere that once frightened her. The smell of burning candles and wax, actually was comforting in this peaceful moment. Her body was loosened and at ease, her shoulders sagged back, she was content enough almost in the mood to take another well-deserved nap.

It was startling scary that in those short moments, she was truly starting to grow comfortable. The moment of thinking that, Elena straightened herself. _What was she doing?_ She cursed on the inside for being so stupid and careless. It didn't matter, at all, if this man was friendly or not. Elena needed to get out of there, _immediately_. But how would she accomplish in doing that?

Elena secretly thought of something, hoping that Vincent wouldn't notice the change in her posture and stiff behavior. She needed to figure out a way of escape somehow. _Think, Elena! _Her mind screamed and begged and pleaded. Maybe if he fell asleep, she could sneak her way out. _No_. She doubted that he would allow his guard to be let down; he probably rarely slept. She tried to think of a logical decision that would realistically work.

Perhaps…

"Vincent."

He paused, his one eye glancing at her, interested.

"Um…" Elena wasn't sure how to word her thoughts out. She hesitated, tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and then continued, "I need you to understand something important, but I'm not sure how to say it without upsetting you." He tore his eye away from her dark gaze, his head bent down in concentration as he resumed his work.

"Vincent, _please_… you have to help me get out of here." She begged in a whisper, tears pooling. His hand paused again, but he didn't look up, his body stiffened. "Please, I can't stay here." Elena pleaded. When she didn't receive an acknowledgement, she reached forward with shaky fingers and rested her hand against his knee, gripping, attempting to gain his attention. She succeeded, his eye trained on her hand relaxing on his knee. Elena's eyes searched him, resting on the wax facial. His one eye held zero emotion; Elena couldn't depict what he was thinking at this moment. Her fingers tightened on his knee, her face now showing determination, her lips pressed in a thin line.

"Come with me." She suggested quietly. She knew it was crazy, but after all that she's been through the entire night, crazy doesn't even begin to cover it. Vincent looked at her. For a moment, she thought he was going to agree, but much to her disappointment, he suddenly pushed her hand away from him. Elena flinched, a frown placed on her face, shrugging back on the stool, her back flat against the waxy wall. She could only watch as Vincent slapped the paper against the desk before sliding his chair backwards with an aggressive push.

"Vincent," she whispered, her voice soothing and motherly. She didn't want to see him like this. '_Damn it, why did I have to go and open my big mouth like that?' _Elena thought, wincing.

He stood up and paced away from the desk, marching towards the fire pit, blazing with flames; his hands rested against the brick banister above the fireplace, head bent down in a miserable position, shoulders tense, coils of long inky hair framing his mask. Elena blamed herself. She was getting off on such good terms with him and she royally fucked it all up. _Thank you, Elena. Now he doesn't trust you._

Sliding off the stool, Elena stood on her two feet. One step forward. Two steps forward. Three steps forward. She found herself edging onward until she was standing directly behind the taller man. Her blood was pumping fast, her breathing shallow. Soft as a feather, her hand reached and relaxed on the thick curve of his shoulder; she could feel him tensing under her touch.

Her thoughts were tangled in a web. She felt remorse for this man. Obviously, he was verbally and most likely, physically abused by his psychotic brother. Elena was serious when she asked him to escape with her. He didn't deserve a life like this, no one does. He didn't deserve to hide away from the world, especially with his raw talent that earns the right to be seen by millions.

_But he killed Stefan_, her mind screamed, reminding her. Elena remembered Bo revealing that he wasn't the one to have dealt with her ill-fated boyfriend. If Vincent murdered her boyfriend, why didn't he do the same to her? She was allowing access to be killed on the spot when Vincent first found her, she just about gave up. But when Bo came downstairs, he _actually_ protected her. What was that all about? Was she worth something?

She exhaled a sigh, low and indecisive. She wasn't sure what to think anymore. She didn't even know if she was going to be alive in the next twenty-four hours. What of her friends? Elena figured they were probably still most likely in Chicago. What would happen once they do end up returning to go find her and Stefan?

The glowing heat of the fire was enough to make her skin feel clammy. The temperature down there was humid, reminding her of the harsh outside weather in this god-forsaken town. Sweat beaded her forehead, but she didn't care. Her main focus was Vincent. Curiosity plagued her; she wondered what he looked like underneath that mask. Was it a perfectly-normal human face? Was it a disfigured face? _He definitely has some Phantom of the Opera vibe going on,_ Elena thought. _Just without the talking or singing._ The silly thought of Vincent suddenly bursting into song brought a faint smile on Elena.

Vincent remained in the same position directly in obverse of the fire pit. He hasn't move or acknowledged her. No communication whatsoever. Elena frowned. She wasn't sure what she was doing, but she felt the rapid need to comfort him. His emotions were like a spiral, she detected. Maybe he was afraid of leaving this place behind. Did his brother torment and scare him enough of never to leave?

Her hand slid from his shoulder and glided down the length of his tattered-sleeved arm. She could almost cheer happily as she gained his attention. His head craned in an angle as he looked down at her hand. Due to the immobile features on his mask, Elena couldn't tell his actual facial expressions. Only that one eye was the key. Elena carefully grasped her hand in his and interlocked their fingers. From that gesture alone, she was silently pleading with him, trying to make him trust her and realize that she posed no threat towards him. A silent truce. Neither of them spoke anything, although no words needed to be exchanged. It wasn't necessary. Cautiously, almost afraid, his fingers squeezed against hers. Elena weakly smiled, she believed she was getting back on good terms with him.

"Awe. Isn't this sweet?" a cruel, mocking voice interrupted.

The pair turned towards the source of the Southern voice. Elena's heart dropped down to her stomach. Vincent's hand tightened, a sign of protection. Bo strolled into the room as if he owned the place. His leering smile pointed in the girl's direction.

"What is this, Vince? Huh? Got a soft spot for the bitch?"

Elena glared at the sickening man who presented an evil smirk in return. Of course, Vincent didn't say anything, but she could feel him tense.

"_Stupid moron_. News flash, brother: you're not supposed to get _attached_ to the victims, ye hear? If you're that lonely, get a fucking dog to keep your miserable ass company." Bo growled, standing a good few feet away from them.

"Leave him alone!" Elena snarled, her face turning red. She was so furious with this insufferable cruel man. She wanted nothing more to bash his head against concrete several times. Bo paused, surprise etched across his face. A moment passed and he chuckled amused. He ran a hand through the cropped brown hair and looked at them with a penetrating stare.

"Have I entered an alternate universe?" asked Bo, laughing slightly at the absurdity of this situation. He imagined Elena to be crying and begging, not defending his own brother that was supposed to be killing her. "Elena, sweetheart, do you have something to tell me?" he asked, with a bitter smile.

"Nothing that concerns you." She replied, coldly.

"Right." Bo said. "But it concerns that ugly piece of shit."

"The only ugly piece of shit I see here is _you_."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Very so."

Bo sneered. His hand was slightly twitched; he felt the strong, desirable urge to strangle the girl with his own bare hands. She was getting on his last nerve.

"Better watch that tongue, missy. It'd be a darn shame to cut it off." He threatened, low and dangerous. Bo was narrowing his eyes at the younger girl before he averted them at his silent brother. "What the fuck are you looking at? Fucking _freak_. I swear, you never do anything right, do you?" Bo took a few steps forward before he was standing right in front of Vincent. "Huh? Hey! I'm talking to you!" With an aggressive swing, Bo hit the back of Vincent's head.

A surprised gasp ripped out from Elena's mouth. She wasn't expecting Bo to react _that_ violently to Vincent. What disturbed her even more was the fact that Vincent wasn't doing anything to defend himself. He was allowing Bo to verbally and physically abuse him.

Bo paid no attention to the younger girl from behind and instead focused his direct attention on his brother. He hissed in a nasty tone, "Don't be so stupid! Get your head out of the gutter! What is this shit I see when I come down here? Some fucking _Romeo and Juliet_ moment between you and that whore?!" Bo grabbed a fistful of his brother's shirt.

Elena clenched her fists, her nails biting into her skin, drawing beads of blood. This was unacceptable to her. She just had to do something about it.

"You're nothing but a disgrace to this family!" Bo continued harshly, one of his hands gripping Vincent's shirt and the other grasping the back of his head, his fingers twisting viciously into his long matted hair. Vincent made no response and never struggled. "Ma would be so disappointed in you, Vince." This seemed to gain a reaction as the mute brother lowered his head in despair.

Subtly, Elena backed away from them, keeping her eyes trained on them both. Soon, she was pressed back against the bed that was located in the corner of the basement. Reaching blindly behind her, Elena grasped something and realized without looking at the object, she was holding a belt. Perfect.

"Ye hear me, man?" Bo asked again, his lips formed in a thin line as he stared annoyed. "Huh?" He inclined his head, but Vincent never lifted his head up. "I'm this fucking _close_ to cutting you off from this family permanently…" He whispered, dangerously. No response.

The belt hidden behind her back, Elena approached, slow and cautious.

"Still no damn response, huh?" Bo scoffed. He released his shirt and for a moment, Elena thought Bo was going to leave Vincent alone; until suddenly, Bo swung violently, the back of his hand connecting with the side of the wax mask.

This resulted in Vincent's mask flying across the room.

Immediately, Vincent covered his naked face with his hands. Elena paused, but with Vincent's back to her, she couldn't see a thing. Humiliated and embarrassed, Vincent cupped his hidden face inside the comfort and security of his bare hands. Bo's lips lifted into the corner, resembling a nasty smirk; seemingly enjoying the shame his brother was experiencing.

Vincent collapsed to his knees, afraid of Elena; he didn't want her to see his natural face, he was too mortified.

"You evil bastard!" Elena spat, before advancing without warning, and smacking the side of Bo's face with the hidden belt, resulting in a loud _smack_. This definitely caught the man off guard but quicker than Elena thought, he recovered and retaliated by throwing a punch that landed on her nose. Elena shrieked painfully and the strong force knocked the young girl back, she flew a few feet behind and landed on her vertebral. Blood oozed from her nostrils and the cartilage was bent in an awkward angle.

"Fucking bitch." Bo cursed, rubbing his stinging cheek. "Whatever. You two deserve each other. Next time I see you alive, sweetheart, I'm pulling the fucking plug myself." He warned, smiling deviously as the brunette writhed in obvious pain on the floor.

"It's nearly morning. Soon, those friends of yours will be coming to look for you and when they do…" Bo paused, a slow malicious smirk spreading. "We'll be ready. This town is in serious need of remodeling. Those friends of yours will be perfect. Including you." Bo laughed. "Try not to bleed on the floor too much, Elena." He said, almost nonchalantly. "And you, brother, pull your shit together. No need to be acting like a pussy right now. Finish her soon. Okay? Good." He patted Vincent's head, as if he were a dog that deserved to be praised.

With a sinister chuckle, he departed and left the room.

"I. Hate. Him." Elena gritted out through her teeth, spitting out blood that dribbled from her nose. Pushing herself up in a sitting position, Elena bit back a nasty curse as she gingerly touched her swollen nose. Much to her dismay, it was crooked. Bo punched her pretty good. Wiping away remain of blood, Elena turned to Vincent and noticed him still kneeling on the floor, his hands covering his face. His mask was lying on the floor a few feet away.

Crawling like a beaten insect, Elena moved her way towards the mask, his concealment from the world. She could feel the warmth of the fire as she moved closer and retrieved the mask with special care. Carefully, she observed the molded wax, it was indented from where Bo's knuckles landed. His mask would have to be repaired to smooth out the concave contours.

Slowly, Elena held the mask out in front of Vincent, waiting patiently for him to take it. It took him a moment before he turned his face from her and reached out with a blind hand in the air. Quietly, she placed the mask in his awaiting hand.

His fingers curled around the wax and soon, it was adjusted and placed back onto his face, concealing his true self from Elena. Vincent stood up and looked down at Elena who was still sitting on her knees on the floor. She peered up and noticed how bruised the mask appeared.

"Here." Elena said, standing up and grabbing a spoon from one of the various supplies that scattered throughout the basement. She gestured for the big man to sit down on the medical table and claimed a random candle. People might've thought her being crazy for doing this, but Elena thought it was only fair since he protected her from Bo.

"Just stay still," she ordered in a whisper. She positioned herself beside Vincent and placed the spoon against the flame of the candle, heating the metal. Then, cautiously, she moved his long hair out of the way before smoothing the back of the spoon against his waxed cheek, melting the ugly indentation Bo created with his own fist.

Vincent watched quietly as she worked, his single eye watching her every move.

Once she was finished, the mask completely smooth and flawless again, she stepped back and observed her work.

"Looks brand-new," Elena smiled weakly, feeling drained, all of a sudden. Vincent lifted his fingers and gently touched before nodding in acknowledgement. She assumed it was a _thank you_. "You're welcome," said Elena, gratuitous.

As she stepped back, Elena touched her nose again and cringed, the blood beginning to dry up. Vincent noticed the odd angle her nose was positioned and slid off the table before grasping her shoulder. Out of instinct, she jumped but relaxed when he gently pushed her against the table. Elena took the hint and jumped up, her bottom planted against the table. She briefly wondered what he was doing. But she discarded that thought when he moved around the room, grabbing a few items before returning to stand in front of her. Because he was so much taller than her, he towered, she only reached up to his chest.

"Why am I so short?" she said jokingly.

When she looked down, she noticed it was a bowl of water and a cloth. Vincent lifted the cloth and dipped it into the warm water. Reaching up, he began to gently smear the dried blood surrounding her crooked nose.

"Ow," Elena winced. _It stung real badly._ But nonetheless, she allowed the masked man to wipe away the grime from her nose. He worked quickly and quietly.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. Vincent only cocked his head in an angle and she smiled a little, showing how grateful she was for everything he was doing for her. _He really is such a sweetheart_, she thought internally. _I only wish Stefan would've been like this—_

Her thoughts disappeared as an excruciating pain overwhelmed her.

"AHHHH!" Elena yelped as her hands clamped Vincent's wrists in an iron grip.

When she was distracted, Vincent positioned his hands on her face, and with a quick _crunch_, he situated her cartilage back in place. More blood spilled out of her nose as tears burst out of her eyes. Vincent didn't mean to place her in so much pain, but he needed to fix that nose of hers before it got worse.

Elena was seeing dots in her vision and quicker than she expected, darkness swept over her. Her limp body fell forward, hitting Vincent's chest. She was in so much pain, she ended up collapsing to a blackout. Vincent grabbed her body, carrying her gently towards his bed. He deposited the girl on his bed carefully and brushed some of the hair sticking on her face.

Afterwards, Vincent moved away from Elena and left her alone to relieve the throbbing pain she experienced.

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Date Posted: 09/18/14

**A/N: Oh my God, I'm so sorry for the late update! Right now, I'm posting this at my local Barnes N Noble, due to the fact that I have no stupid internet, apologies about that XD If you guys are still here on this crazy adventure, please let me know, and I'll be talking to you guys individually soon :D**

**Please review and make my day :D**

**- Nina **


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

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Caroline's eyes slowly opened, her vision blurred for a moment, before it cleared. Sunlight was streaming through the thin curtains of the cheap motel they were lounging in, the room flooded with bright light. The blonde lifted her head and realized she was asleep on Klaus' chest. Blue eyes narrowed and she crawled over the sleeping man to find her iPhone.

Klaus grumbled in sleep and turned over, pulling the blankets up to further encase his body for warmth. Caroline watched his movements with a soft smile fleeting her lips, the memory of her revealing to him of her pregnancy, one of the best moments of her life. She realized after enlightening him of her secret, she knew from that instant on, Caroline wanted to be with him, start an actual life together.

Last night, she was so afraid of telling him, afraid that he wouldn't be ready to have a child. Klaus was always full of surprises, Caroline thought. The fact that he comforted her while she cried in his arms, Caroline knew she wanted to keep the child and raise it with him. That wonderful thought brought slim tears to those eyes of her.

Sighing from content, Caroline resumed looking for her iPhone. After finding it located on the nightstand adjacent to the bed, she checked for any messages or missed calls from Elena. She frowned; there was no messages or any sign of Elena trying to reach her. There really must be little to no reception down there. _She's fine_, Caroline internally decided. _Klaus is right; I've been paranoid. Besides, Stefan is a strong man, he can protect them from anything._

Caroline checked the time and realized with bulging eyes that it was _3:52 _in the afternoon. They all slept in very late. _What time did we go to bed last night? _Caroline couldn't remember.

"Babe, rise and shine." Caroline shook his shoulder, nudging him awake.

"Mm-what?" Klaus mumbled, his eyes still shut.

"Wake up!" she ordered impatiently, moving off the bed and hurriedly shrugging on a sweater and shoes, so she could go next door and wake Damon and Jeremy up. When Klaus didn't move an inch, Caroline grabbed a pillow and smacked him straight in the face, jolting him wide awake. She smirked when he glared at her through heavily-lidded eyes.

"You're gonna pay for that, love."

"Can't wait," she mocked with a grin before exiting the room and going next door. Her fists pounded on the door. She called the boys' names and irritably struck on the door multiple times until it finally opened. An annoyed and very exhausted Damon Salvatore answered the door; he glared at the blonde intrusion.

"Can I _not_ help you?" he answered.

"Act like a decent human being for once, Damon. Pack your stuff up, we're leaving in a half," she demanded, crossing her arms.

"Fine. Whatever." With that, he shut the door in her face.

"That's not acting like a decent human being, asshole!" she shouted, knowing very well that Damon could hear her through the door. Just like Caroline demanded, everyone was out of the motel in less than an hour and back on the road, heading down south where Stefan and Elena were located.

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Brown eyes snapped open.

Elena observed her surroundings and realized she was asleep on the bed in the basement. A moment took her to also notice that her nose felt extremely sore. She lifted a hand and touched it, cringing a bit. She suddenly remembered Vincent cracking it back in place. _Ouch_. That was one of the most painful moments in her life.

Speaking of Vincent, her eyes peered around. That's strange; he wasn't in sight. _Where did he go?_ Her heart thumped in anxiety, if he wasn't there… could this be her chance? Elena lifted herself from the bed and stood on her feet, her breath hard and heavy. _Where the hell was Vincent?_

Maybe he was playing a trick on her, waiting for her to do something and perhaps kill for her attempt of escaping. It was a little possibility, but Elena strongly disagreed that he would do something like that. After all, he did help her many times. _But he killed your boyfriend_, her mind reminded her. That was true. But Elena knew for a fact that his brother manipulated him into doing all of this.

A few moments passed and Vincent still hadn't showed up. Elena knew she needed to think and act quickly. She wanted to help the masked man, or at least free him from Bo, but she knew that wouldn't be likely. This was her final chance for survival and she was not about to waste it. She went out the other exit, sprinting as fast as her feet could get her. She was leaving behind her diary, but at this point, she didn't care, she had to get out of there quickly.

The hallway was sculpted in wax, of course. Chills crawled up her spine, but she ignored them and kept moving. At the end of the lengthy hallway, there was a staircase. Not caring of where it led her, she climbed up the steps, being careful not to trip and hurt herself. Reaching the final step, Elena went through an open door and ended up in a kitchen.

"What?" she whispered, her eyes darting around. There was a figure positioned in the corner of the kitchen, wearing a chef coat and hat, bent over the counter, looking like he was preparing a meal.

_It's a wax figure. _

It certainly wasn't the kitchen in Bo's house. This kitchen looked cleaner, more carefully crafted. With a startling realization, Elena figured out that she must be in the town's main attraction, House of Wax. Fear struck her like a bullet and she shivered. _She seriously needs some therapy after this._

She dared a step forward, going towards the island counter that was in the middle of the kitchen. Her hands touched the material and she observed even closer. _Oh my God! _Her fingernails scratched the surface, miniscule bits of wax crusting inside her nail. What disturbed her the most was the fact that everything was shown in great detail. Vincent really put a lot of work into everything.

Everything appeared unnervingly realistic.

Fighting back a strong shudder, Elena departed the kitchen and entered a dining room. A table with a banquet decorated on the surface caught her eye. She walked even closer and touched some of the food, she picked up a vegetable carrot and noticed that it wasn't real either. It was all wax.

"Holy shit!" she breathed out, dropping the carrot back onto the table and taking a step back. When she turned around, Elena noticed a closet that was left open. What interested her was the fact that there were two highchairs inside the space. One look told her that those weren't created in wax. The handles were cold and metal.

There were a pair highchairs; with two names on them.

Elena tilted her head in curiosity when she recognized the two names carved on the leather of the seats: Bo and Vincent. A swarm of questions invaded her mind, Elena detected the pair of chairs with inquisitive eyes. Both highchairs looked the same, but that's when Elena noticed something different with Bo's. Leather restraints were attached to the arm handles, indicating that Bo's family tied his wrists down. Blood, dried from years, was noticeable on the restraints.

Her stomach lurched.

"Oh God," she whispered. Vincent's highchair didn't have the restraints, she realized. After a moment, she tore her eyes away from the strange scene, she had to keep moving. Sooner or later, Vincent would return and he would notice her absence. She couldn't linger around.

Elena ran and ended up in the foyer, she believed. A staircase was situated towards the back and various wax figures loomed around the room. _Creepy._ Elena spun in a 360 circle, they looked so real. She approached one of them, a gentleman donned in a suit, facing the front of the room with an unearthly smile. She touched the cool cheek and shuddered before stepping back.

Turning around, she saw that there was a piano and a figure perched on the bench seat, poised in a position that resembled a pianist. As Elena peered closer, she suddenly wished that she hadn't entered the room. The pianist was desolately familiar to her brown orbs. She immediately recognized the green eyes and lighter cropped hair.

Stefan Salvatore was the musician at the piano.

Elena lowered her head, struggling to keep tears back. Her knees collapsed and she held her throbbing head in her shaking hands. The urge to throw her guts out was playing inside her system, but she had to remain strong.

Oh God, she was so stupid. From the start, she knew it was a bad idea for Stefan and her to isolate from their friends and go off into the town all by themselves. And now, it was all her fault. She practically lured Stefan to his death; she never should've trusted Bo and follow him up to his damn house. She should've stayed with Stefan. Maybe, he would still be alive at this point.

"Get up, Gilbert," she whispered to herself softly. Following her orders, Elena rose to her wobbly feet and ran as fast as she could out of the creepy foyer, and out of the main set of large doors that granted sweet freedom.

Elena was greeted by a rush of crisp cold air. It was surprisingly dark out; she must've been sleeping for a long period of time after Vincent cracked her nose back in its original place. Stumbling down a set of steps from the House of Wax, she sprinted down the rocky trail that led straight back to the town. All the building lights were not on yet, so it left an eerie darkness.

She silently questioned herself while running; what was she going to do now? She had to get help from somewhere. There had to be some other people in this god forsaken place. Elena thought of shouting for help, but held back the thought, what if she attracted the wrong attention? By now, she figured that the brothers would find out that she ran off.

Her lungs burned as she sprinted. Once she finished moving, she noticed that she was directly in the middle of the town. She spotted Bo's gas station, and shivered. She slowly turned and tried to see another place that might be of help.

Lights blared her vision.

Elena bit back a scream of shock as suddenly, all the town lights were switching on. The brightness reminded her of Christmas lights, lively and flashy. Her eyes could depict the different outlets since it wasn't dark anymore: pet store, grocery store, post office, apparel store, etc. But it all looked abandoned, as if there was nobody inside.

A gust of cold wind blew, ruffling her tangled hair. Her breathing was harsh, ragged even. She was trying to figure out what to do, she couldn't linger out in the open for long, otherwise one of the brothers might spot her; and then she would be in big trouble.

In the corner of her eye, Elena found a police station. She nearly cried in relief; finally, someone that could come to her rescue. Her feet clapped along the pavement as she raced like a horse in competition. She slammed into the glass doors and banged on them impatiently.

"Hello? Someone? Please help me!" she begged, glancing behind her occasionally to make sure one of the bad guys doesn't sneak up on her. She continued pounding her bloody fists on the doors, but there was no answer. In fact, as she narrowed her eyes and tried to look inside, there was no one even there. Inside was set up like a typical police station, minus the various police officers. She grunted in a frustrated tone and angrily punched the glass, bruising her knuckles once more.

"Fuck! Is there anyone here in this goddamn town?" she asked herself, walking away from the police station and going down the main road, making sure to be aware of her surroundings. Some of the houses on the end of the street, they didn't have their lights on, so she guessed that no one was home. As she walked further down the road, Elena remembered something, the church from yesterday. There were people sitting on the pews for Bo's mother's funeral.

Hoping for one last chance of hope, Elena darted off for the church. As she neared closer, she could hear music coming from the inside. Her shoes clacking against the little rocks, Elena crawled up the stone steps and tore open the front wooden doors.

"Somebody!" Elena shouted, trying to gain attention. Thank God, there were still people here. Elena shut the doors behind her and started forward. "Please! There's a few guys after me! Please, I need help!" There was no response or movement. Elena fought the urge to gouge everyone's eyes out with her bare fingers. "Hello? Did anyone fucking hear me? I said I need—"

She stopped, her teeth catching her tongue, adding enough pressure to draw blood. The pit of her stomach dropped, she wanted to crawl under a rock and die. Elena swallowed, a lump forming in her dry throat, she observed the _people_ sitting in the pews. Elena's eyes caught the immobile features of the figures. These _people_ weren't even real; nope, not at all. Instead, she realized sickeningly that these were also waxed figures.

"Oh my God…" she breathed out, unintentionally stepping back from a particular one she was looking at. But unfortunately, she stepped back too far and accidentally snapped off one of the arms of the figures. It snapped off and fell to the floor with a dull thud. But Elena wasn't expecting the inside of the arm to give the impression much like the inside of a _real_ arm.

She screamed, before she cupped her mouth, abruptly cutting off. Her eyes were wide as she inspected the arm closely; the inside appeared to be decaying, like a corpse almost. _Oh my God… These wax figures, they're real people on the inside… _Tears leaked from the ducts of her eyes as she stepped back, her hand clapped over her mouth like iron. She turned around and recognized the open casket at the front of the church, where Bo was kneeling when she and Stefan first saw him the other day. The ugly fact that Bo basically waited for them to come to the church with these fake figures brought sickness. She knew that Bo was psycho to begin with; but this was taking it to a whole new level.

Inside the open casket, she noticed a body, it was an older woman with gray hair and her arms were crossed while she rested peacefully. Grabbing one of the service playbills from a random figure, Elena read the name and her heart lowered to her abdomen.

_Our Beloved Trudy Sinclair. _

_This must be their mother_, Elena figured it out.

A distant noise from outside caught her attention. She gasped and dropped the paper before quickly moving to find a place to hide.

One of the Sinclair brothers found her.

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Date Posted: 09/21/14

**This chapter is shorter, sorry about that. Again, still have no internet, posting this chapter at my local library in town. Also, don't worry for the Delena fans out there, the two will be reunited soon, so quit worrying. I apologize if it seemed like there was a romance going on between Vincent and Elena, and that wasn't the case at all. There is not gonna be a romantic relationship ever between those two and it was never meant to be portrayed that way. I think Elena feels more remorse for Vincent and wants to help redeem him, but she knows it probably won't happen. And Vincent is curious about her, because of the fact that he's never had any real interaction with women to begin with. Also too, this wasn't really a romance story to begin with, I prefer to focus on the horror element, so please don't complain if there's not enough romance. That's not the intent of this story and I hope you all understand that :D So yeah, I just wanted to clear that up and I hope this chapter was enjoyed!**

**As always, please review!**

**- Nina **


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

_Thump. Thump. Thump. _

Elena was certain her heart was pumping at a dangerous rate. Sweat beaded across her body; her palms were slick and clammy. Her once gorgeous straight hair, now strongly resembled a bird's nest, pieces sticking out in different directions, oily from not showering in so long. She felt disgusting, she could only imagine how bad she smelled.

The brunette held her breath as she finally heard the two parallel large doors open. Loud footsteps echoed through the dreadfully quiet church. The footsteps were slow, predator-like; just waiting to pounce on his prey.

"I know you're in here."

Silent tears rolled down her cheeks. She pressed two moist hands to her quivering mouth to silence her heavy breathing. She hoped and prayed to God that he wouldn't find her hiding spot.

Bo strolled in through the doors, like a panther; sly and smooth. He knew that the girl was inside, he saw her sprinting in this direction. Slowly, he darted his eyes all over the place, checking through the pews to maybe see if she was hiding under one of them.

The waxed figures all seemed to be in place, except for the cracked arm that was lying pathetically on the floor, decayed from years. With an evil grin, he kicked the dismembered arm back under the benches. He also spotted the service playbill that was centered in the aisle, obviously the girl picked it up. Bo figured that Elena connected the dots by now; that Trudy Sinclair was his mother, the original wax artist in Ambrose, before she died.

Bo kneeled in front of his mother's open casket and looked down in mock sympathy.

"I'm sorry mama, these people just have _no_ respect." Bo said, knowing very well that Elena heard his chilling words. He fought back a nasty smirk as he quickly peered inside the rest of the casket, making sure the tiny girl didn't squeeze back there for a pitiful hiding spot. Realizing that she wasn't there, Bo stood and stepped past the wax figure resembling a priest.

Elena was holding her breath, her cheeks beginning to turn a purplish-color; she was attempting not to make too much noise, in fear of revealing her spot. She did _not_ want to face that psychopath's wrath again. Her ears picked up sounds of Bo looking around the church, obviously trying to seek her out. She was confident that he wouldn't find her, but then again…

Bo moved around the area in athletic grace; he was determined to find the girl and personally make her wish that she was never born. He was actually giddy with excitement with all the _fun_ stuff he could do with the little bitch; to make her pay for all the trouble she's causing him. Bo maneuvered around the coffin to check behind, but there was no sign of her. A frown started to fleet his features; where the hell was she? His footsteps were quicker, resolute; he was starting to not know where else to look. She had to be in here somewhere.

Bo checked everywhere; the pews, the casket, the closets, nothing. Absolutely no trace of the girl anywhere. He had to give it to her; she was doing a better job at playing hide and seek.

After another minute of searching, Bo gave up. The little brat must've snuck off before he approached the church. He turned around and began to walk down the aisle and towards the massive church doors.

But then he slowly stopped in his tracks.

Elena didn't hear the man walking any longer; she knew that he didn't leave because she didn't hear the burly doors creak open. She could taste the saltiness of her tears. It was deadly silent, Elena didn't know what to think. Maybe, something else caught his attention. She said a silent prayer in her head, closing her eyes, and pleading her life.

Hands shot out and gripped her from behind.

Elena screamed and struggled, successfully prying herself free from the arms. She thrust the flaps of the priest's robe and hurriedly crawled out from hiding underneath the priest waxed figure.

She took off without sparing a glance in Bo's direction; she raced off down the aisle and flung open the doors. Stumbling down the concrete steps, the chill air whipped around her, raising bumps on her flesh. Her feet slapped down the pavement as she ran.

Bo was directly right behind her, catching up very quickly. Elena was actually a pretty athletic person; she did a various amount of different sports when she was younger and was also an involved cheerleader, she knew how to run like an athlete. But unfortunately for her, Bo was faster, more agile.

Elena was tackled down when she attempted to reach the first house she saw with lights on. She fell forward on the grass outside the white picket fence with Bo wrestling her down. Elena thrashed violently, spewing nasty curses at the bastard while he flipped her on her back, a successful grin spreading across his smug face.

The brunette writhed under him before she saw someone peek out the window, through the curtains. A hope for chance and survival, Elena screamed loudly for help. But much to her dismay, the person only drew back from the curtains and Bo released an amused laugh. When she realized that the person wasn't going to help her, or looked they didn't even care, more tears streamed down her face. Everything was hopeless.

Elena continued screaming, hoping that someone else would come to her rescue. But there was no response from the dead silence of the deserted streets. Bo shushed her, her screaming was getting quite on his nerves very quickly. He stopped shushing her after she calmed down and looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy.

"Please, don't…"

But her pleas were useless as Bo ignored her, rolling his eyes in the process. He hoisted the small teenager over his shoulders as she kicked and fought. But her strength against him was basically nothing. As if he was taking a nightly stroll through the town, Bo Sinclair whistled a merry tune combined with the terrified screams of Elena Gilbert.

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Date Posted: 09/23/14

**Damon and the rest of the gang are coming back next chapter. Also too, this is totally off-topic, but last night, I received my CPR-approved American Red Cross card, because I plan on maybe doing a career in a medical field, so that will look awesome on my applications :D This chapter is very short again, I'm sorry. At the library again, wanted to post something tonight and the place is about to close up, so I have to get going, guys! Thank you so much to all your awesome responses, they always make my day :D **

**Please review!**

**- Nina **


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

"No! Put me down!" Elena slammed her fists into his back in hopes of injuring him, but much to her dismay, her punches weren't affecting the psychopath whatsoever.

In fact, Bo was visibly enjoying her resist, exciting him even further; he was going to have tons of fun with this one. Strolling down to his station, he hummed happily as he kicked the door open with his foot, Elena continuing to repel against him.

"Please! Bo, you don't have to do this!" she begged, even though she knew it was quite useless. Just as she thought, Bo ignored her, instead sauntering over to the corner of his shop where his stereo system was located. He switched on the system and loud music blared through the bass speakers, the entire station vibrating from the bass. Elena couldn't distinguish which genre of music it was, but it was vulgar and obnoxious.

"You son of a bitch! Put me down!" Elena screamed again, shifting her entire frame backwards, pushing herself away from his shoulders. His fingers painfully dug into her legs to keep her from sliding. While she was flailing with her arms, she knocked off his work cap off his head, exposing short brunette hair.

As he wandered from the stereo, Elena seized an opportunity to rake her fingers through his cropped hair and tugged sharply. Pain shot through his skull and as harsh retaliation, Bo gripped the ends of her long, tangled hair and jerked violently, almost enough to rip out a chunk. Elena's grip on his hair immediately loosened as she yelped from the sudden pain.

Bo quickly ambled into his garage, and in the corner of the insulated room, a stairway led down to a basement, that Elena failed to notice when she first came to his station. Holding the squirming girl firmly over his shoulder, Bo took the steps one by one and approached a smaller wooden door that was unlocked at his command.

With one click of the doorknob, Bo was inside his chamber, heading towards the center of the room. Elena lifted her head from his back and with one quick scan around the room, her heart picked up speed. If this is what one pictured a torture chamber to be, it was the correct image. The small basement was grey in light tones, a few bulbs lit here and there, casting the place in a gloomy atmosphere. The walls appeared to be concrete, and various dangerous-looking tools were scattered throughout the residence.

The struggling continued as Elena immediately knew of her ill fate; tears sprang to her chocolate orbs. Once Bo stopped walking, Elena was bitterly lifted from his shoulder and her entire body connected into something hard and stiff; she realized that he tossed her into a chair that eerily resembled one that would be found in a dental hospital.

Immediately, Bo went to work. His hands were occupied with keeping Elena secured to the chair; he speedily trapped her wrists, fastening them both in leather belts attached to the arms of the chair. For more security, he added duct tape to her bound wrists, disregarding her cries and pleas.

Elena attempted to kick, but that was a big mistake, as Bo imprisoned her legs in his arms; he spun the thick tape around her limbs, exposing something interesting to Elena; she paused for a moment, her struggling seized as she noticed the sleeves of his arms pulled up a bit, revealing an angry-looking scar. She instantly remembered the highchairs and the restraints. Bo noticed her staring at his welted wrists and pulled up his sleeve, concealing it. After finishing taping, he pugnaciously ripped the tape with his teeth, effectively trapping her legs.

"Elena! Stefan! Anyone here?"

Elena gasped as she recognized the voice from above; her brother, Jeremy Gilbert. She opened her mouth to call out, but Bo was faster, and soon, he was behind her, cupping her mouth with one of his hands and seeking out something sharp with his other hand. He snatched a blade from a nearby tray and threateningly poised it at her throat.

"One word, Elena, and this will go straight through your throat." Bo warned, low and dangerous. Afraid to speak, Elena only nodded in acknowledgement, tears shining in her eyes. She was thrilled her friends had shown up, but she was now starting to fear for them.

"Elena Gilbert! Stefan Salvatore! You two better be here!" a familiar, angry voice shouted from above; Elena also recognized the female voice, Caroline Forbes. Elena realized the entire gang was actually here, in this damn town. She looked up and noticed there was a vent on the ceiling, exposing some of the scenery from above. Elena saw footsteps walk over the vent, and more tears fell from her eyes.

She really wished they hadn't come.

.

.

.

Thirty Minutes Earlier

"That's strange. This town that they speak of, it isn't even on the GPS." Klaus identified suspiciously, as he drove down the road that supposedly led them down to the abandoned town of Ambrose. For hours, they've been driving and now it was beginning to turn dark outside.

"Elena told me to keep following this road down; it should be washed out at the end, so we'll have to park the car there and travel to the rest of the way to the town on foot. Unless if you want to drive the car all through that." Caroline notified, her eyes staring straight ahead, feeling extremely tense from the dark atmosphere they were surrounded in.

"Like I want to destroy my baby," Klaus scoffed in a joking manner about his precious vehicle. Caroline narrowed her eyes at him in playfulness.

"I thought _I_ was your baby."

"You'll _always_ be my baby, and soon, we'll have _our_ baby." Klaus said, tearing his eyes from the road for a moment to sincerely lock eyes with his girlfriend, she tenderly smiled.

"Wait _what_?" asked Damon from the back.

"You're _pregnant_?" added Jeremy, shocked.

"Surprise!" Caroline laughed.

"You say it like it's a bad thing, mates." Klaus practically growled, his protective instincts kicking in.

"Not at all, man. Just shocked, is all. Wow. That's awesome. Congratulations, guys!" Jeremy beamed.

"Awe, thanks, Jer." Caroline grinned.

"Congrats, Santa Klaus, Barbie." Damon smirked, knowing it was going to set a fuse in both future parents.

"_Don't call me Barbie!"_

"_Don't call me Santa Klaus!"_

The couple shouted in unison, before locking eyes with each other and both of them burst out laughing.

"Couples confuse me, sometimes." Jeremy frowned in an unsure manner as Barbie and Santa Klaus laughed like a pair of hyenas. It was a miracle Klaus hasn't crashed the car yet.

Just like Elena promised, the road turned out to be washed out at the end, and everyone hopped out of the car.

"This is it." Caroline stated, her hands positioned on her hips. She turned to Klaus and asked, "Wanna attempt driving through _that_?"

"Are you kidding me?" Damon laughed, disbelievingly.

"Walking is perfectly fine." Klaus decided, locking his car and handing Caroline his car keys. "Be a doll and hold these for me, would you?"

"Anything for you, babe." She cooed, teasingly while Damon and Jeremy rolled their eyes in sync.

Everyone stumbled across the muck and soon approached the gloomy-looking town. Pulling out her iPhone, Caroline tried to phone Elena's number, but much to her dismay, there was no service out here whatsoever. Now, she understood why it was impossible to reach Elena. She hoped to find Stefan and Elena quickly so they could get the hell out of this creepy town.

"This town looks like something straight out of a scary movie," Jer commented, looking a little too eager to be in a small eerie town.

"Don't say shit like that, Gilbert. You'll scare my girlfriend." Klaus teased, throwing an arm over Caroline's shoulder, pulling her close. Caroline happily huddled into his warmth.

"This town sucks. I'm gonna go find a store." Damon announced, turning to walk away from the group in an uncaring fashion.

"Seriously, Damon? Splitting up is not a good idea. I mean, look at this place!" Caroline gestured all around her.

"Does it look like I give a fuck?" Damon kept walking.

"What about my sister and your brother?" Jer called after him.

"Maybe they're at the store." Damon offered, as he reserved sauntering away farther from the group.

"Fine, be an asshole! See if I care." Caroline shouted after him and then started walking the opposite direction, towards the gas station Elena was talking about earlier on the phone. Klaus and Jer followed after the determined blonde.

As Caroline approached, she heard loud music blaring from the inside. Opening the door, she peeked her head inside and spotted no one. Jer leaned over the blonde and shouted for Elena and Stefan. There was no response.

"Elena Gilbert! Stefan Salvatore! You two better be here!" Caroline added, but there was still no answer. With a frown, Caroline closed the door.

The three stood in a circle.

"I didn't see a motel anywhere." Caroline spoke, crossing her arms, growing more uneasy.

"They've gotta be around here, somewhere." Jer assured.

"We haven't looked long enough. Let's head up the road, maybe they're somewhere up there." Klaus suggested.

"Okay." The blonde said, uncertainly.

"Hey." Klaus gently squeezed her arm. "We'll find them. No worries."

"I know." Caroline sighed before walking forward. "Well, hopefully they'll show up soon, believe it or not, I actually can't wait to go home."

Klaus shrugged an arm around her, and together, the three trailed up the road, hoping to find their friends soon.

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.

.

Elena and Bo heard the entire conversation from below, and additional tears fell. Bo could feel his hand moistening from her tears and fought back a smirk.

"Faithful friends ya got there," he observed, whispering in her ear and she shuddered. "Can't wait to meet them."

"Please, leave them alone!" Elena cried, softly. She moved her sore wrists around before limply leaving them lying in a pathetic position. Instead of responding to her, Bo reached a hand out and caught a small tube on a nearby tray. He unscrewed the cap with his teeth and spit it out across the room. Elena questioned him, "What are you doing?" His rough hands stroked her face as she shrugged back in disgust.

"It's okay." He shushed her, his lips caressing her head as she sobbed. Bo maneuvered around the chair so that he was standing on her side, holding her red face. Positioning his fingers, he puckered her lips as she whined. "Hold still, sweetheart." He whispered, touching the tip of the tube to her lips as her eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Such a shame we have to close that pretty mouth of yours." Bo said, as he squeezed superglue paste to her lips, sealing them shut. Tears trailed down her face and she whimpered, her lips trapped together. _That bastard! _She cursed inwardly. Again, Bo shushed her and licking his dry lips, he drew himself closer to her face. Elena cringed back, shutting her eyes and waiting for the worst. Bo was centimeters from her glued lips, Elena for one moment, thought that he was going to kiss her, but instead he lightly blew on them, drying the glue faster.

Disturbed, Elena sniveled further, terrified beyond all reason. Much to her alarm, Bo leaned up and pressed a kiss to her forehead, eliciting a muffled cry from her, watching her expression with an amused smile. Elena looked into his eyes, hoping to see anything, any form of redemption, but sadly, she saw nothing in those blue depths.

"You and I are gonna have some fun later." Bo promised, running a hand down her face and reaching dangerously close to her cleavage. Her eyes widened. He continued in almost an annoyed tone of voice, "Right after I get rid of those nuisances you call _friends_."

Elena cried and began to wriggle in the seat. "Be good, doll." He warned, giving her leg a threatening squeeze before suddenly departing her. Elena watched through blurry eyes as Bo strolled across the room quickly and looked at her one final time before shutting the door. She heard him locking it from behind.

Once he was gone, Elena started struggling in her seat more. She wasn't planning on sticking around here for long – she had to get the hell out before Bo returned with his malicious intentions. The metal handlebars rattled noisily and she lifted her taped legs and used her feet to kick the metal her wrists were attached to. A few hard kicks and she successfully broke off the metal.

Her wrist was still taped and restrained to the bar and she quickly maneuvered it to her other hand, her shaky fingers peeling off the duct tape. Hope boiled inside her; she was on stepping stones, edging closer to her freedom. Elena needed to get out of here and warn everyone and get the _fuck_ out of here.

She successfully freed her wrist from the leather restraint and repeated the same escape process to her other bound wrist. Both her wrists unbound, Elena reached forward and grabbed a sharp metal object to slash the tape from her legs.

Meanwhile, Bo was exiting his shop, standing outside, preparing to lock the door. He was too distracted to notice another man similar in height approaching the station.

"Hey!"

This caught his attention; Bo turned around to find a man with black hair and wearing a leather jacket.

"I'm looking for my brother and his girl."

"Sorry, man. Don't think I've seen them." Bo easily lied, moving away from the door and heading towards the open garage. Damon watched him, obvious disbelief written on his face.

"Well, I'm pretty sure they were definitely here." The raven-haired man argued smoothly, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"Well, I'm pretty sure you didn't hear me correctly." Bo snapped, his patience wearing thin; he barely knew the guy and wanted to slit his throat already. "I don't think I've seen them." He repeated, grinding his teeth in frustration as he slammed the garage door shut.

"This is the only gas station is town." Damon responded, clenching his fists, not liking the attitude and vibe he was getting from this asshole.

"That's right." Bo nodded.

"Then they were definitely here."

"No customers today."

"Are you the only person who works here?"

"Yeah, I own the station." Bo began to approach him, stuffing his hands in his pockets, his thumb brushing over the hunting knife he kept in his pocket. He was itching to release it and just stab this pretty boy in the face, but he remained cool and neutral. He could sense Damon's guard was up, so he needed to lower it down before attempting anything.

Suddenly, a muffled moaning sound was heard from below. Bo clenched his fists, but his face remained impassive. Damon arched a fine eyebrow.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing. My dog's just downstairs, probably whining for food."

Downstairs, Elena was trying to call out Damon's name, as she could hear the two talking up there. She had to warn him. Her damn lips were still glued shut, so she couldn't speak. She looked up and saw the vent, maybe she could catch his attention if she signaled her hand.

She stood up on the chair and reached for the vent, she was short in height, only the tip of her finger reached through the bars of opening. At this point, she was standing on her tippy toes, wiggling her finger through the vent, hoping that Damon would see.

"This is a small town, how the hell did you not see a short brunette girl and a Justin Bieber-looking guy walking around?" Damon demanded, not seeing the vent a few feet away and a finger sticking out.

"I don't know what to tell you, man." Bo turned around, going to stand by the vent. Unfortunately for Elena, instead of Damon noticing her signal, Bo sure did; a nasty smirk revealed on his face as he pretended to bend down to tie his shoe. "Actually, you know what," Bo started, slyly slipping a tiny wrench out of his pocket. "My brother, Vincent, was down here for a while. He probably could've helped your folks out."

Damon rolled his eyes as he turned away for a moment, giving Bo the opportunity to physically harm Elena. Bo skillfully caught her finger with the teeth of his wrench.

From downstairs, Elena was struggling, her face down, as she wiggled her finger around. Suddenly, something cold and hard clamped on her finger, holding it in place. She frowned and her eyes widened; before she could comprehend what was happening, pain shot through her system. Elena snatched her hand from above, her glued lips concealing the bloody murder scream.

That bastard snapped off the tip of her pointer finger with his tool. Blood spilled from her wound and tears sprang to her eyes. She thought the broken nose was the worst experience of her life; boy, was she wrong. Her finger felt like it was on fire, the nastiest kind of pain she could ever imagine.

Bo could see the girl freaking out down there, and he silently laughed. Quickly, he picked up the tip he cut off with his tool, he placed the bloody finger inside his pocket, standing up and facing Damon again.

"They're probably at the house. Do you wanna go check it out and see if they're there?"

"My friends were headed in that direction." Damon notified.

"Perfect, they probably already found them by now. If not, I'm sure they're up there." Bo started walking in the direction of his house and to his content, Damon followed him. Perfect. His plan was going smoothly, Bo thought smugly, secretly holding his weapon behind him.

The pain subsided and Elena was now more desperate and determined; she was not going to let Bo get away with all this, not anymore. Bravely, she placed her good hand to her lips, and began to pull, planning on ripping her lips apart. Slowly, she pulled and fought the urge to release tears, she had to do this, one way or another. It hurt, but she kept pulling, she could feel her lips tearing. Almost there. She could feel blood oozing from her lips, but she ignored. Soon, she stretched her lips completely open. _Hallelujah_!

"Damon!" she cried loudly. "Damon, please help me! I'm down here! Damon!"

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Date Posted: 09/26/14

**So, I just got my first flame for this story. A Guest reviewer said: "This story is so bad." That's one thing I really dislike about readers who send in mean reviews like that; first of all, please describe why the story is so bad and maybe give me a few pointers of how to improve or constructive criticism, instead of leaving such a bland and uninspiring review. And second of all, please grow a pair and sign in your name instead of leaving a review as a Guest so I can personally reply. That just ticks me off, there's no need to be rude or mean. I write for fun and it's really discouraging to see people write stuff like that. I apologize for my rant, but I had to just let it out. That review kind of bummed me out :/ I really hope there are way more people out there who really do enjoy this story, it's kind of worrying me. So, is this story worth it or am I just wasting my time, because I feel this story is so underappreciated right now. I'm probably overreacting, but that's just how I feel. If you're an author as well, I'm sure you've experienced this dilemma before, and if you have any advice, let me hear it, because I'm really disappointed. I'm not going to give up on this story, I plan on finishing it, but I'm just slowly losing inspiration. Thank you for reading this message, everyone. **

**- Nina**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

Previously on Chapter Seventeen

_The pain subsided and Elena was now more desperate and determined; she was not going to let Bo get away with all this, not anymore. Bravely, she placed her good hand to her lips, and began to pull, planning on ripping her lips apart. Slowly, she pulled and fought the urge to release tears, she had to do this, one way or another. It hurt, but she kept pulling, she could feel her lips tearing. Almost there. She could feel blood oozing from her lips, but she ignored. Soon, she stretched her lips completely open. Hallelujah! _

"_Damon!" she cried loudly. "Damon, please help me! I'm down here! Damon!" _

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Chapter Eighteen

Damon knew that voice; familiar, husky, and feminine. But there was a more alertness to this specific voice. Less than a second, he figured out that it was Elena's voice and it sounded distant; it echoed. He stopped walking and turned to the source of the voice.

Knowing this was the right moment, Bo decided to go straight for the attack. The weapon positioned in his hand, he swung aggressively, aiming for the raven-haired man's throat.

From his peripheral vision, Damon saw the weapon and just in time, he ducked before the weapon could lethally strike him. As a retaliation, Damon clenched his fist and clocked the man in the jaw, sending him back a few feet. Elena's screaming for help grew louder as Damon seized the opportunity to run into the station. Luckily for him, Bo didn't lock the door; he ripped it open and shut it the same instant Bo smacked into the door. Quickly, his fingers switched the lock, successfully trapping the psychopath outside.

Bo inhaled sharply; this wasn't the plan whatsoever. Glaring daggers at the man on the other side, Bo sprinted towards the garage door. Noticing Bo's second attempt of getting inside, Damon raced to the garage on the inside. The garage door was lifted a few inches as Bo aggressively pushed it up. Using his weight as leverage, Damon jumped on the rusted garage door and slammed it down. He snatched a screwdriver and stabbed it through the springs of the door, keeping it locked in place.

Bo tried to push up again, but realized it was completely locked. Damon watched as Bo took off into a sprint again, speedily, he raced to the other door to see where Bo had gone. Completely aware, Damon walked towards the windows and peered through them. He didn't spot Bo anywhere. Only the deserted town.

"Damon!" Elena repeated, her voice growing hysterical.

"Elena!" Damon yelled her name, running towards the garage again, and spying a staircase that led down to a tarnished basement door. He could hear Elena from inside and he tried the knob before realizing it's locked. One strong kick at the door and Damon busted the knob, effectively granting him access to Elena Gilbert.

His ice eyes darted across the room and immediately spotted her; the usually always perfect and gorgeous Elena that he knew looked the complete opposite. Her olive skin was paling, her makeup was smeared off, and her hair resembled a bird's nest. Another thing he instantly noticed; there was blood soiled on her clothing, her once clean white tank-top was caked with mud, dried and fresh blood.

"Fuck!" he breathed out softly. He was at her side in an instant, so many questions brewing in his head. Deciding to save questions for later, he retrieved a switchblade from his pocket and slashed the tape securing her legs.

"You're here." Elena whispered, her dark eyes gazing down at him. Her voice was low, exhausted even. "I was so scared, Damon… I thought you were killed." Her eyes watered.

"Can't get rid of me that easily," Damon weakly smirked. His expression sobered in a second. "Elena, what's going on? Where's Stefan?" His eyes drifted to her hand and recognized one of her fingers was missing, the spot was dripping blood. His insides boiled and his nostrils flared. "He did this to you? Son of a bitch!" Damon cursed and ripped off a strip of his white shirt and carefully wrapped it around her finger.

"Damon, I hate to say this, but I know I have to…" Elena whispered, wincing as he bandaged her bleeding finger.

"What?" He didn't look up.

"He's gone."

Damon paused.

"I'm so sorry, Damon." The tears started rushing down her face. Her voice choked as she cried.

"Stefan's dead and it's all because of me."

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.

"You guys are insane; I am not, I repeat, _not_ going into a creepy wax house." Caroline crossed her arms, defiantly as the three stood outside the steps of the House of Wax.

"FYI, Caroline," Jer argued, making the blonde roll her eyes. "It's called the _House of Wax_. It says it right _there_." He pointed to the engraved sign on the building as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And since when are you afraid of wax figures?" he teased, earning a glare from Caroline.

"Since _always_." Caroline snapped, her attitude pouring through her tone of voice. "And what makes you think Stefan and Elena are gonna be in there?"

"Love, we've already looked around most of the town," Klaus pointed out, massaging the palms of her hands. "It doesn't hurt to make a small look."

"Fine," Caroline huffed, snatching her hands away from his gentle grasp. "You two can go inside and look around. I'm staying out here."

"Don't you think that's a little dangerous?" asked Jer. "I mean, I think the three of us should stick together, you know, just in case. It's already bad enough that Damon ditched us."

"Damon can take care of himself." Klaus responded. His main concern didn't involve the older Salvatore; he was starting to grow more concerned for where the hell Elena and Stefan were. But he kept his calm, neutral side in place. "But I agree with Gilbert, sweetheart, come with us."

"I already told you, Klaus; I'm staying out here. There's no way in hell I'm walking through those creepy doors. Nope." Caroline made her point by popping a squat on one of the bottom steps and crossed her legs, making herself purposely comfortable. She knew it was a bit childish, but she'd rather take her chances outside than go inside a creepy house.

"Suit yourself." Jer shrugged, as if it was no big deal. He passed Caroline up the steps and hesitantly approached the two main doors. Klaus was still standing where he was, staring intently down at his girlfriend. He didn't want to leave her out here all by herself, but at the same time, he didn't want Gilbert to wander off and get himself lost.

"Whoa! Cool!" Jer identified in an awe voice; he approached the opposite wall of the door and used his key to scrape off the wall. "This shit is wax, like, _literally_." Jer announced, as if it were the most awesome thing in the world.

"Wow. Congratulations, Jer. That's not creepy at all." Caroline deadpanned. A house made entirely of wax, the creepiness just skyrocketed to an entire level. Laughing entertained, Jer jerked one of the doors opened, while ignoring the '_Do Not Enter_' sign. "Dumbass." Caroline sighed, while Klaus chuckled.

"I'll be gone for a minute, love. Need to check and make sure the kid doesn't get into any trouble; he's like a five-year-old for God's sake."

"Have fun." Caroline sang in a monotone voice. Klaus presented her a smirk before moving past her and going towards the two main doors, following after Elena's younger brother.

"Hello? Elena? Stefan? Anybody in here?" Jer called out, his voice echoing throughout the museum. His brown eyes scanned the foyer, everything appeared old and forgotten. Various wax figures scattered around the area.

"Wow. This is hella cool." Jer awed, prancing around the room like a kid on Christmas morning. Klaus followed behind him, his cobalt eyes searching for Elena and Stefan, but all he spotted were the eerie, realistic wax figures.

"Don't touch anything, Gilbert." He warned, just as Jer pulled out his lighter and playfully started burning everything he could touch. "Stop that, Gilbert. Don't make me come over there and haul your ass out. Because I _will_."

"Spare me the threats, Klaus." Jer laughed. "C'mon, loosen up. Everything in here is made of wax, you gotta admit, that's pretty impressive."

"Very." Klaus rolled his eyes, not really caring about the museum, his only purpose to find Caroline's friends so she can stop bugging him about it. Klaus stepped forward, his footsteps echoing; the hollow sound low and unnerving. He wasn't sure why but the pit of his stomach dropped and a deadly sensation was slowly eating him inside. From the looks of it, nobody has been inside this museum for years, and that thought unsettled him.

He warily approached one of the figures; a woman in a cotton-candy pink cocktail dress, smiling with her mouth open. As the British man peered closer, he noticed something strange about the appearance. The teeth – they looked old and decayed, much like the inside of a rotten apple. That's strange, he observed. _Why would the wax figure have decomposed teeth? _Unless if it was sculpted that way.

While Klaus was studying the figure, he wasn't paying much attention to Jer. He walked around, resembling a child in a toy store, as he looked around, appearing extremely fascinated with the museum. Finally, he spotted a familiar face in the corner of the room at the piano bench and approached with a sigh of relief.

"Oh, there you are, Stef. What the hell? We've been looking for you everywhere!" Jer exclaimed, his eyes glancing around the room again, before he noticed Stefan not moving. "Hey, dude. Hello? Dude, quit dicking around." He slapped the immobile Stefan Salvatore and jumped back in shock; that did _not_ feel like the flesh of an arm. "Stefan?" Jer whispered, on the verge of freaking out. With his pointer finger, he poked the side of his cheek and cringed when his finger molded through the layer. The wax wasn't dry entirely. "Oh God, what the fuck?" Jer widened his eyes, stepping back.

"What's your problem, Gilbert?" asked Klaus, turning around from observing the figure and his eyes immediately spotted a giant of a man with long dark hair advancing from behind Jer with a large butcher knife.

"GILBERT, BEHIND YOU!"

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**Date Posted: 10/04/14**

**A/N: Thank you, guys! I'm feeling a lot confident and I thank all of you for that. So, a major shout-out to everyone who assured me and said positive things about the story. Again, I'm really sorry for freaking out about that negative review last weekend, so I really just want to take a moment and let you all know that I really appreciate it! Since it's almost Halloween, I'm thinking of writing another story, something horror-themed, this is one of my favorite times of the year. So, a question to everyone, what's your favorite horror film? If you have one, I know, not everyone likes scary movies, but I'm one of the few that do, and I have to say that my favorites are probably the Scream movies, Nightmare on Elm Street series, Chucky films, and definitely House of Wax. So, what's yours? And I do want to write a horror story, maybe another VD crossover type story... Any ideas, suggestions? Thank you all and have a fantastic day :D**

**Please review ;) **


	19. Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

"Stefan's d-dead, Damon. Oh my God! H-he's dead! It's all my f-fault," Elena cried deeply, her voice quivering in fear.

Damon watched her, still kneeing down before her, slowly processing this information.

His brother, his _own_ brother – his younger brother.

_Dead_.

His heart clenched.

"Who?" he asked.

"W-what?" she asked, not completely understanding the single-word question.

"Elena." Damon said, cupping her face and bringing their heads close together.

"Elena, _who_ did this to you? Was it that asshole who owns the station?"

"Him and his brother." She answered, quietly.

"Shit!" Damon cursed as he finished helping Elena from the torture chair and lifted her into a standing position.

Weak and exhausted, she crashed into his chest, her legs not balanced.

"Whoa! Nice and easy, Elena. C'mon, you need to stay strong for me, okay?"

He brushed some hair out of her face and glazed his eyes over; the girl he knew and secretly loved looked _terrible_.

"You okay?"

Damon knew it was a stupid question, but he wasn't sure what else to say.

For the first time, Damon was tongue-tied; he absolutely didn't know what to say to make the situation better.

His brother was apparently dead and Elena was about to meet her own death – if he hadn't reached her in time.

That asshole tricked him; Damon could feel his insides boiling with rage.

He had the sudden urge to kill Bo.

He was so angry, he wanted to _torture_ the man.

"I'm fine. You're here." Elena weakly smiled.

Happiness bloomed like a blossom inside; she could kiss him if she wanted to.

But she didn't, and only brought her arms around him in a gratuitous hug.

Surprised by the sudden gesture interrupting his deadly thoughts, Damon cooled and wrapped his own arms around her, fighting the impulse to cry for his brother.

"Where are they? Where's everyone else?" asked Elena, sounding hysterical again, as she pulled back and looked at Damon with large doe eyes.

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Caroline shivered as a gust of cold wind whipped around her.

She crossed her arms, huddling for warmth as she rose from sitting on the steps of the creepy museum and paced around.

It's already been a few minutes since Klaus and Jeremy went inside the House of Wax.

At this point, she was growing extremely impatient.

_C'mon guys._

_C'mon, c'mon._

_Hurry up in there!_

_Getting cold… getting cold…_

Retrieving her cell from her pocket, she checked to make sure there was no messages or missed calls.

Absolutely nothing.

Caroline sighed.

This was so weird.

They all should've been able to find Elena and Stefan as soon as they arrived in this small town.

Where the hell are they?

As Caroline thought about it more, where the hell was everyone else?

There's like no one walking around or anything.

This town appeared abandoned.

The nervous blonde looked around and assessed her eyes around the creepy town.

Two strips of buildings lined down the road, all of them looking old and ratty.

Where are they?

"GILBERT, BEHIND YOU!"

Shocked from the loud outburst sounding from inside the museum, Caroline immediately raced into the museum.

Her lungs burned like fire as she plowed through the doors and sprinted into the foyer.

She screamed, "JEREMY!"

The younger Gilbert was busy studying the Stefan wax figure when a taller and wider man snuck up behind him, a large butcher knife gripped tightly in his hand.

As Jeremy heard Caroline's frightened warning, he turned and yelped at the sight of the creepy man with the wax face.

Jeremy threw himself backwards as the beast of a man advanced and slashed his knife through the air; slicing through Stefan's waxed cheek, exposing flesh.

Caroline gasped, instantly recognizing the figure and Klaus cursed, not at all believing what he was seeing.

Jeremy stumbled backwards, tripping and falling, knocking several items onto the floor, as he backed away from Vincent.

Advancing forward, Vincent raised his knife and prepared to strike the teenager before something smashed into his back.

Desperate to save Jeremy's life, Caroline directly risked her own life by snatching a vase and smashing it against the larger man's back, pieces of molded wax spraying all over the place.

Much to her dismay, this didn't faze the killer but instead, he turned and swung his knife, aiming for her throat.

Caroline shrieked and jumped back before the blade could connect with her skin.

Fuming beyond all reason, Klaus pulled Caroline out of harm's way before diving towards Vincent, tackling him like an NFL player would.

"Niklaus!" cried Caroline, her eyes darting around to find a weapon to help defend.

With eyes that resembled saucers, Jeremy watched from the floor as Klaus struggled with the beast with shabby long hair.

Klaus's knuckles were bruising and raw as he repeatedly punched the man in the gut aggressively.

He was so pissed; he didn't like _anybody_ harming his friends and girlfriend in any way.

The hard blows didn't affect Vincent much, as he harshly pushed Klaus off him.

Klaus landed roughly on his back, temporarily knocking the wind out of him.

"Oh my God! Klaus!" Without even thinking, Caroline dove towards her boyfriend, kneeling beside him protectively.

"Oh, fuck. That hurt." Klaus groaned, clutching his side and trying to focus on gaining his breathing back.

Caroline looked up and gasped as she saw the massive man proceeding on them slowly, like a predator.

"Klaus, you need to get up, please," she begged, tears spilling as she hooked her hands under his shoulders and attempted to pull him up, but his weight she couldn't lift.

"What do you want from us?" she spat, her words like venom as she stared up at the masked man.

The man didn't respond, but only inched closer.

"No, no, no," Caroline mumbled as she dragged her boyfriend's body backwards, but not progressing very far.

Finally, the man stood over the pair and lifted his hand, hovering the lethal knife into the air.

"Please!" Caroline cried, louder, as a desperate attempt to appease the psycho.

The man didn't listen.

"No!" she whimpered.

Vincent ignored the crying blonde and prepared to strike, but instead, he got interrupted.

Again.

Having worked up the courage, Jeremy decided to save the day by surprising Vincent with dishes.

He threw them one by one from the kitchen, aiming for his back.

This act certainly caught Vincent's attention, making him turn and face the boy.

"Twisted psycho!" Jeremy shouted, continuing to throw dishes, as Vincent advanced.

"Klaus! Please, get up!" Caroline pleaded, grabbing his shoulders and hoisting.

"Caroline, go!" Klaus ordered, regaining his breath back properly as he pushed himself up to go help Jeremy.

"What?! No?! I'm not leaving without you!"

"Goddammit, Caroline!" Klaus roared, and he aggressively grabbed her face, bringing her close as he looked at her with widened, almost crazed eyes.

"Go get help," he said, softer this time.

He didn't mean to frighten Caroline, but he was deeply concerned for her safety; he couldn't live with himself if something happened to her.

Thick, alligator tears streaked down her face, as Caroline hesitated, not wanting to leave her boyfriend and friend behind.

"Go, now!" he demanded, before abruptly letting go and sprinting towards the action.

With no other choice, Caroline turned and bolted out of the museum.

She was greeted by the rush of cold, crisp air.

Goosebumps grazed her flesh as she sprinted down the steps, looking for the nearest house.

A house located near the museum up a short hill, Caroline instantly ran, screaming for help the entire time.

She stumbled quite a few times, but she kept pushing herself forward until she was pounding on the front door of the house.

"Help me, please! Somebody! Please, open up! We need help! Oh God, please!" she cried, hysterically, almost on the verge of not breathing.

"Is there some sort of trouble, miss?"

Caroline jumped and turned.

A handsome man in his early thirties strolled up the steps, his expression concerned.

"Oh, thank God." She sniffled. "Please, I need your help! We're being attacked at that museum! There's this guy trying to kill us!"

"Come inside, right now." The man was alert.

Caroline didn't hesitate following orders as she followed the man inside his home.

The man shut the door and turned on some of the lights.

"I'm calling the police," he said and regarded the crying girl. "What's your name, girl?"

"Caroline," she whispered, wiping her tears.

"Okay, Caroline," the man crooned, gesturing for her to sit down on the couch.

"My name's Bo, and I'm gonna do everything I can to help you out."

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Date Posted: 10/14/14

**A/N: Sorry for such a late post! School has been kicking my ass recently. I'm super excited though, I get to start wearing my scrubs for my Dental Assisting class for tomorrow :D So, wow, sorry for the late update, and sorry that it's a bit short! But I wanted to get something out to everyone! Halloween is coming up real soon, my gosh! Got any fun plans this Halloween season? My friends and I may go to a Haunted House/Corn Maze event in our town, which is so much fun! Love that kind of stuff! Thank you for everyone's responses last chapter, so continue being awesome, and tell me what you think of this one! :) **

**- Nina **


	20. Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

"Where are they? Where's everyone else?" asked Elena, sounding hysterical again, as she pulled back and looked at Damon with large doe eyes.

"I split up from them," said Damon, regretfully.

If he would've known better, he would've stayed with them, just to insure everybody's safety.

Now because of him and his selfish ways, Damon wasn't even sure where everyone was or what their fates were.

"You… you _split_ up from them." Elena narrowed her eyes accusingly.

"Yes, Elena. I split up from them." Damon spat, raising his voice. "You know why? Because I'm a fuck-up. And fuck-up's always do what's best; to fuck-up royally in a situation, Elena. So I apologize if I'm a fuck-up. I fucked up, Elena…"

Damon kneeled down and bowed his head, the tears wanting to push forward but he held them back sealed.

He refused to cry in front of her.

"Yes, Damon." Agreed Elena softly. "You _are_ a fuck-up. You are a terrible person sometimes."

A harsh laugh escaped Damon as he listened to her words.

"And you know what? At this point, I don't care anymore if you're a terrible person or not. Rather we like it or not, we _have_ to work together if we want to make it out of this freak show town _alive_."

Damon watched her closely and noticed something startling different about Elena; not her appearance, but her sudden case of independence.

Clearly, she went through so much in a short period of time.

"Do you understand me, Damon? Our lives are at fucking stake right now. If we're not careful, we're gonna end up as a fucking figure in the wax museum."

"What are you talking about?" inquired Damon suspiciously.

"Have you seriously not noticed the entire damn town by now, Damon? Have you ever wondered about the fact why there's no people around or why it seems so abandoned?"

Damon considered this carefully; as he was thinking about it, it started making sense, but he was still confused as to what Elena meant by their fates ending up as a figure in a wax museum.

What is she getting at?

"C'mon, I'll tell you on the way, but we have to find everyone else and get the fuck out of here for good. Where's Bo?" she asked as she jumped off the chair and headed for a roll of duct tape before wrapping it around the cloth securing her bleeding finger.

"Bo?"

"He's one of the Sinclair brothers that owns this town and this station." Elena supplied quietly. "I heard you talking up through there," she pointed to the vent. "And I tried to catch your attention but the asshole cut my finger off while you weren't looking."

Damon suddenly remembered Bo kneeling down to "tie" his shoes.

Now, it all made sense.

And the noises he heard from below.

He clenched his fists, his anger boiling.

"It's fine now." Elena assured, reaching out to take one of his clenched fists.

His hand immediately loosened in her grip, making her gently smile.

"Did you lock him out?" she guessed.

"Yeah, I locked him out." Damon confirmed, stepping past her, breaking contact of their hands.

Just to make sure that Bo wasn't prowling around the station, Damon grabbed a strong and rusty old wrench for good measure.

"Do you have your cell phone?" asked Damon, traveling up the stairs slowly with Elena following behind closely.

"No." Elena frowned. "It's been missing for a while now. Bo probably has it. And it wouldn't work anyways, there's barely any service here."

"Shit." Damon cursed before he sighed and said more gently, "Okay, we'll make one round through this town to look for everyone else. If we can't, we have to get the hell out of here." He thought for a second and remembered, "Shit! Caroline's got the keys to the car. Okay, maybe I can hotwire the car and we'll make our escape—"

"No." Elena argued, grabbing his arm and forcing him to look at her. "I'm not leaving anyone to die here, Damon. Do you not know how much guilt would consume me?"

"Fine," he ripped his arm from her grasp. "Until we find them, dead or alive, we're leaving after that. Understood?"

Elena shivered at that _dead or alive_ thought and only nodded.

Satisfied with her answer, Damon finished going up the stairs and he entered inside the main station foyer.

Noticing a telephone in the corner, he took his chances and tried, but much to his dismay, the damn phone didn't even work.

He ripped the phone and its cord from the machine and threw with an aggressive force across the room, making Elena jump.

"Stop making so much noise, Damon. He will come back."

"Yeah, chances are he will anyways. After dealing with me, he might not want to."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Looks like your ego hasn't changed much."

All she received was a smirk lifted on the corner of his mouth.

Tapping the wrench against his hand repeatedly, Damon hesitantly walked towards the front of the station.

He peered out the windows and checked to see any sign of the psychopath.

The streets were dark and deserted.

Nobody in sight.

"Okay," Damon said, pausing to look at Elena. "Looks like it's clear out—"

A body smashed into the glass door with a loud bang.

Elena shrieked and Damon jumped away from the glass, both their hearts racing.

"Oh shit," Damon breathed out, recognizing the person.

"Klaus!" Elena cried in relief.

Damon immediately unlocked the door, and Klaus barged in, appearing extremely shaken-up.

His face was bruised and there was some cuts littered on his body, but no doubt, it was Caroline's boyfriend.

"Oh my God, Klaus! You're okay!" Elena jumped into his arms, giving him a well-deserved hug.

"Elena?" Klaus mumbled in disbelief. He pulled her at arm's length. "Gods, what happened to you?" His body immediately stiffened as he remembered something. "Never mind that, where is she?"

"_She_?" asked Damon.

"Oh God," Elena gasped, catching on to what Klaus meant. "Where _is_ Caroline? Klaus, where's my brother? Please tell me he's all right!"

Her fingers twisted on his shirt, her eyes begging and pleading about her brother as she stared into Klaus's regretful and guilty ones.

"Elena…" he started.

"No! No! Klaus, please tell me that he's safe and alive!" She was beginning to turn hysterical.

Tears brimmed in his eyes. "I can't tell you that, Elena. Your brother…"

He didn't get the chance to say anymore because Elena collapsed in his arms, heavy sobbing taking control of her.

"I'm so sorry," Klaus whispered as his hand stroked her hair while she cried in his arms.

Damon watched from the side and before he even realized it, a few tears streaked down his cheeks and he bent down his head in loss.

He just lost his best friend.

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"Would you like something to drink?" offered Bo, as he looked down at the blonde girl sitting on his couch.

"_What_?" Caroline asked in disbelief, still crying at this point. "No. I don't want a fucking drink. I appreciate your hospitality but I would appreciate a phone call to the police even more. I want _help_."

"Right." Bo nodded, his eyes raking over her form. A barely noticeable smirk lifted the corner of his mouth. This girl was quite pretty, just as pretty as the Elena girl.

"I'll be right back. Just sit tight." He patted her knee and left the living room to make a _phone call_.

Caroline frowned from the contact of the man.

Well, she was happy that she finally found someone to find help in; but she didn't like the vibe she was getting from this man.

He was acting kind of creepy.

Caroline pushed herself up from the couch and paced around the room, the tears slowing down.

"Please be okay," she whispered, thinking of both Jeremy and Klaus.

Fuck!

She still had no idea where the hell Elena and Stefan were.

She hoped to God they didn't encounter the same fate with that _beast_.

Caroline clasped her hands together against her mouth, a silent prayer.

Her eyes fluttered shut and she hoped and prayed for everyone's lives.

As she opened her eyes, Caroline looked across the room and frowned when she noticed something oddly familiar.

Out of curiosity, she stepped forward, not realizing that Bo was watching her the entire time.

Her eyes focused, Caroline was across the room and looking down at the desk.

Stacks and files of paper littered around the area.

But something in particular stood out amidst the pile.

Caroline suddenly remembered; the sleepovers, the hang-outs she would have with Elena.

Elena always wrote her thoughts every night in her diary.

Tears rolled down Caroline's cheeks as she held Elena's diary in her hand.

Immediately, she turned to try and escape out the door, but she was suddenly greeted by Bo, who was blocking the front door with a malicious grin.

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**Date Posted: 10/18/14**

**A/N: Halloween is approaching closer :D I'm so excited, this is one of my favorite times of the year! Thank you for all of your responses from last chapter, really, it spreads a smile on my face! Keep them coming, as always! **

**- Nina **


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Caroline glared at the intimidating man that was blocking her access of escape. Her chest heaved painfully as she clutched her best friend's diary in her quivering hands. Bo smiled wickedly, not entirely surprised that the blonde teenager caught his intentions fast. He was expecting her to find out quickly.

"What have you done with them?" asked Caroline quietly. Her eyes narrowed and more tears trickled down her pale face, thinking of all the terrible possibilities of her friends fates.

"Nothing compared to what I have prepared for you, darlin'."

A scream ripped out of her throat as Bo advanced, without warning. As quickly as he moved, she took off in a sprint to the opposite side of the house. Her insides burned with adrenaline and fear as she slammed into one of the backdoors and attempted to fling herself out, but it was locked.

Bo halted at the entrance of the room, enjoying the nice view of one of his victims struggling to escape. Her breaths grew harsh as she looked around to find another way to get out of this house. She tried one of the windows but it was bolted.

Bo crossed his arms and leaned against the wall in a careless position. "Give it up, Caroline." She ignored his jeers as she continued to try and break one of the shatter-proof windows. Bo chuckled mockingly and said, "Your pathetic attempts of escape are wearing thin."

"What the hell is this?" asked Caroline loudly as she inspected the windows.

"Maxi-glass." Bo supplied smartly, his dark eyes roaming over her figure. "Be careful, sweetheart. Chances are you'll harm yourself worse than the glass."

"If that's what it's gonna take to get the hell out of here, then I'll take my chances." Caroline spat, throwing down the useless chair on the floor and quickly scouring the tables for a weapon. She cluttered various items and paper.

"What, are you gonna give me a paper-cut or something?" Bo mocked. Sliding papers away, she found a metal stapler. She turned and held it in front of her protectively. Bo barked out a laugh, amused by her choice of weapon. "A stapler? You're pulling my leg here, Caroline."

Gripping the stapler tightly, Caroline bolted out the other hallway, but Bo was just as fast, and soon he caught her, causing them both to crash onto the floor. She landed on her back with Bo straddling her stomach. Her head ached from hitting the floor with aggressive force.

"That was really fuckin' stupid, blondie." Bo sneered from above, his breath ghosting over her face.

"Get. The. Fuck. Of. Me." Opening the flap of the stapler with one hand, she jammed it into his chest and pressed hard, successfully eliciting a cry of pain from her attacker. Ripping the stationary item from his chest, she proceeded to take this opportunity of his momentary weakness to smack the stapler harshly into his cheek.

Bo howled painfully and with all her might, she slithered from underneath and away from his body. While he was recovering from the pain, Caroline seized the moment to dash across the room and much to her luck, he forgot to lock the front door. She flung it open and took off in a hasty speed down the steps and into town.

Bo raised himself up on his feet, his face contorted in anger and frustration. Quickly, like a panther, he moved and retrieved a rifle hidden deep in the bowels of his home. Sliding bullets and loading it dangerously, he strolled across the house and out the door, following after the blonde.

Unknown to Caroline and Bo, a pair of keys rested on the floor in the living room—Klaus' keys to his vehicle.

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.

"Elena, where are we going?" asked Damon as his eyes glanced around in every direction. He and Klaus were both holding weapons, just in case. Elena was leading them into the town, near the church.

"There was a person here." Elena remembered when she was attacked by Bo from the church and he tackled her down outside this person's home. But the person didn't even help her out. "They opened up the curtain."

Elena opened up the gate to the white picket fence while Damon just hopped over it carelessly. Klaus followed cautiously behind Elena. Damon climbed up to the window and glanced into it. The thin curtains obscured his vision from seeing anything from the inside. But from the looks of it, the lights inside were turned on.

"This is pointless, Elena—"

Damon caught his tongue as the curtain suddenly swiped open. He nearly fell back from shock but caught himself. Elena gasped from the sudden curtain movement and moved closer to Klaus. An elderly woman with curlers pinned to her hair looked at them all with a blank expression.

"What the hell?" muttered Damon as he observed closer. He studied the immobile features on the woman's face. The woman didn't even move or look around. Then, in another second, she closed the curtain again, as if there wasn't a group of three people standing in her yard, in front of her window.

"Well, that's not creepy at all." Klaus commented sardonically. Elena moved closer to the window just as the woman figure pulled open the curtain again.

"How come she doesn't see us?" asked Damon confused.

"Perhaps she's blind?" Klaus suggested.

Elena shook her head before she looked at the two of them and whispered, "The whole town's rigged."

"What?" Damon frowned.

"Everyone in this town," Elena closed her eyes momentarily and released a deep breath before continuing, "They're all wax."

"That's impossible," Klaus said disbelievingly.

"Klaus, open your eyes." Elena said loudly, gesturing all around her. "Don't you think it's a bit odd that there's no one outside? Or the fact that you got attacked in that wax museum?"

Klaus kept his mouth closed in a firm line.

Elena stared at him for a moment longer before she pushed past the two men and started to go the opposite direction. Klaus and Damon looked at her before glancing at each other, both in shock and disbelief about the absurd situation.

Finally, they wordlessly followed her.

As the trio ventured deeply into town, they came across a certain shop that had a display window with various types of guns inside.

"Perfect," said Damon as he dropped his pole and picked up a rock from the ground. He made a move to throw it into the glass but Elena stopped him.

"What the hell are you doing?" she snapped. "That'll make too much noise!"

"Be reasonable, Damon," Klaus said, agreeing with her.

"I am being reasonable." Damon argued, glaring at them. "With weapons like these, that dick's not gonna want to cross our path." With that, he flung the rock with a violent swing and smashed the glass. Klaus rolled his eyes and followed Damon to the display window while Elena watched. They each retrieved a gun.

"ELENA! OH MY GOD!"

Elena spun around and turned to see a familiar blonde racing down the street.

"CAROLINE!"

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_Date Posted: 10/31/14_

_Happy Halloween! Unluckily for me, I'm sick today, actually for a couple days, I've been sick. So, I can't go anywhere unfortunately :/ So I decided to write up a chapter for everyone. Sorry for the long wait. Thank you for everyone's responses last chapter, as always :D_

_- Nina _


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

Fire roared inside Elena's system, each step forward she took running towards her best friend was lethal and strenuous. But she didn't care, all that mattered was Caroline and she hadn't seen her in nearly two days. There was a couple things she noticed about the blonde; she was a complete wreck and sobbing so violently it made Elena's heart weaken at the horrible sight. The two met and collapsed into each other's arms, oblivious of their dangerous surroundings.

Caroline's sobbing increased if it were possible as she clutched onto her best friend like an anchor for protection. Elena, herself, felt tears slide down her cheeks as she ran a hand through Caroline's unusual dirty, tangled blonde locks. No words were spoken between them, a silent communication of relief. Caroline opened her eyes and her wet, blurry vision settled on a familiar face and she broke from Elena's embrace and dived for Klaus' awaiting arms.

He crushed her to his chest and she gladly accepted, wrapping her arms around, in return. Gently, he stroked her hair, murmuring words that he couldn't understand, but Caroline silently knew that he was saying in between the lines of "thank God you're safe" and "I love you so much." Caroline snuggled into him, heavily breathing in his exotic cologne that she secretly loved.

Elena watched the two embrace with her doe eyes shining in adoration. How she longed to be held like that, something that Stefan could never give her. _Stefan_. That name held a powerful and overwhelming meaning in her heart – it was her fault he was dead. Now, she could never fix their relationship. Her chest tightened and she swallowed a dry lump that was forming in her throat.

Peeling her eyes off the golden couple, she locked eyes with the last remaining Salvatore brother standing. A simple eye exchange between them – Elena noticed – she realized that she did indeed have something in common with Damon. A mutual understanding. They both lost someone dearly special in their own ways.

Their brief contact was shortened after a loud, gunshot noise was heard. Everyone jumped and all turned to the source of the interruption. Elena tensed like a deer caught in headlights as she recognized Bo approaching the group with a menacing expression and a rifle in his hand.

"Oh my God, that's the guy! C'mon, let's go!" Caroline snatched Elena's hand and forced her to run. Damon and Klaus, weapons in hand, pushed the girls in front of them as they all sprinted towards the nearest pair of doors they could find. Several gunshots were fired as Bo followed after them; his intent for murdering them all growing stronger.

Caroline recognized that they all ran inside a cinema theater. An old-fashioned ticket booth with a wax figure inside stood amongst the entrance. But they had to keep moving quickly. Past the double doors, they all entered the theater, a movie automatically playing on the screen. Elena noted it was some outdated black and white film, but that was irrelevant. She and Caroline needed to hide quickly. As a risky decision, everyone decided to split up and sit among the various wax figures in the seats.

Caroline froze as still as a statue – or in her situation, a wax figure. It was hard to stay still considering a psychopath now just entered the theater, holding his rifle in place, ready to shoot on the spot. Bo glanced around in the dark theater.

"I know you're in here."

Elena shivered from the cruel, taunting voice. She kept her eyes forward, hoping to God he wouldn't find her so easily. At least she thought she blended in with the rest of the figures. Maybe Bo would pass her and never notice. But then she had to worry about him finding the others and she refused to let that happen. At this point, she was so fed up with this psychopath's bullshit – he tried to kill her, he viciously taunted and abused her, and threatened her with sexual assault. Her fingers clenched, her nails biting into the faux material of the theater seats. Her dark eyes watched as Bo maneuvered through the seats, pointing his rifle at each figure he came across. Sweat drenched her – he was getting close to her, way too close.

Bo's cold ice eyes scanned the area like a hawk. He soon landed behind a figure that looked strikingly familiar. From behind, Bo could see the dark hair and he smirked a slow, malicious expression that could send chills down a person's spine. He poised the gun and cocked it. Elena heard the dangerous cocking of the rifle and tried her best to not flinch from fright. Bo approached closer and raised the rifle. Elena held her breath and gripped the arm of the seat tightly. Bo rested his finger on the trigger and tapped the rifle against the head. The head wobbled in its seat and he growled frustrated – it was just another wax figure.

Elena heard the noise behind her and continued to hold still. In the corner of her eye, she saw Bo coming down the rows in clear view. She could also see Caroline in a few rows below her and the maniac was heading in that direction. A silent prayer inside her head, Elena waited and wondered what the hell Damon and Klaus were taking so long to just fire at him.

Caroline's body shook in nervousness, she could hear the bad guy approaching closer. She was so scared, not only for her life, but for her baby that was growing inside. Would this guy really be so cruel to kill a pregnant woman? Caroline didn't know but she suspected that he might. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and she waited for something to happen.

Bo was finally at the bottom row and he had a full view of the entire theater – he looked around and noticed a brunette, sitting towards the middle of the row. He smirked. Elena locked eyes with Bo and knew that she was caught. His rifle aimed towards her and her eyes widened.

"AAAHHHH!" Elena ducked, just as he fired the bullet and it hit the wax figure behind her. Finally, Klaus came out from his hiding spot and shot an arrow when Bo wasn't looking. The arrow landed in his arm, making him collapse to the floor. Bo groaned in pain and glared at the retreating gang.

Damon ran out from his seat and headed for Elena's direction while Klaus got Caroline and they all went into the main lobby of the theater with Bo following behind. Caroline and Elena hid behind the ticket booth while Klaus and Damon stood together, their weapons pointed forward, waiting for Bo to come through the double doors.

When Bo finally did, Damon took the opportune moment to shoot him into the chest. The arrow gave enough force to knock down the man on his back. Bo didn't move. Elena and Caroline got up from their hiding spots and noticed him down. Elena couldn't figure out if he was dead or not; a part of her suspected that he wasn't.

As Elena edged closer to the bad guy, Klaus picked up the rifle lying on the floor and checked for bullets and unfortunately there wasn't.

"Check him for ammo," was Klaus' gruff, direct order.

Bravely, Elena stood above Bo and studied him for a moment – trying to see if it was safe or not. Chances are if he did come back alive, Damon and Klaus were there to help in case. As Elena bent down to observe closer, she noticed he looked more human as he lay there with his eyes closed – when she found out his true intentions, those seemingly black eyes were so inhuman, so cruel-looking. If he wasn't the psycho he was, Elena would've found him to be quite handsome and charming, but unfortunately, that wasn't there anymore.

She sighed and thought about his brother, Vincent. How she felt nothing but sorrow for the poor man. But there was something that he had that Bo didn't – a vulnerable and guilty side that Elena noticed. She only had hope that he would find some redemption and permanently leave his maniac of a brother and leave this god forsaken town.

Bending down, she began to check his shirt pockets for any sign of ammo as Klaus ordered. She reached down and searched one of the pockets of his pants and felt something – but it didn't feel like the cold and hard material of a bullet. This mystery thing in his pocket felt smooth and soft – somewhat sticky. Elena felt dread pooling in her stomach as she pulled out whatever was in his pocket and almost hurled at the sight.

Her bloody dismembered finger.

Elena shrieked and dropped the finger, backing away quickly.

"Oh my God, what the hell is that?" Caroline brought a hand to her mouth, attempting not to throw up at the gruesome image.

"The bastard snapped my finger off and kept it in his pocket," Elena practically snarled, holding her bandaged hand to her chest.

"Is there anything else?" inquired Damon, observing the rifle in his hands.

"No," responded Elena before standing up and taking the useless rifle from Damon's hands and tossing it over a counter. "But we need to get out of here for good. C'mon."

As they all exited the theater, Klaus said, "Okay, here's what we're gonna do: we're gonna get out of this bloody town and go to my car and we'll—"

Klaus stopped as he remembered something. He turned to Caroline.

"Caroline, where are the keys?"

The blonde felt for her pockets and frowned. Her pockets were completely empty. "I don't have them," she unfortunately confirmed.

"When's the last time you remember having them?" asked Damon.

Caroline shrugged, trying to remember. "I'm not sure, but I have a strong feeling they might be at that psycho's house. The keys probably dropped out of my pocket when the creep attacked me."

Klaus fumed when he heard this but decided to remain quiet as Elena said, "One look around the house and if they're not there – car or not, we're getting the hell out of here on foot if that's what it takes."

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Date Posted: 11/16/14

_Wow, guys, I'm so sorry for not updating for a while - and I really do mean when I say that life has been keeping me pretty busy. On the bright side: my Thanksgiving break is coming up Friday, so hopefully more updates :) Thank you so much for all the wonderful support you guys are showering me with! I hope that all of my awesome readers are still out there! You guys rock, as always :D_

_- Nina _


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